Growing Lineage
by KikaKatTIOI
Summary: Sequel to "Waited on a Second Chance" Reading Recommended not Required. The Ghost Crew continues to look for a base, and a new lead takes them to Wild Space. There, not only do they meet someone thought long lost to Kanan, but meet a whole new kind of people. On this journey, discovery takes a whole new level. Read Intro for details. T for reasons. Chapter Epilogue up! The End.
1. Intro

**Hey guys. Welcome to my new Rebels fic! Sequel to my other one "Waited on a Second Chance", but again, not required reading, but recommended and not long to catch up on. Events in WOASC will be described in this story to clarify, but again I recommend my fic.**

 **So since the summary was vague, here is a more detailed description. The story takes place after the episode "The Call" (Sorry, I'm not emotionally ready to write a blind Kanan reuniting with his master). I'm not giving much detail but basically Kanan and Depa reunite, the Ghost meets her, and everyone, including us readers, meets her Padawan (unless you already read my previous story of course).**

 **But there is more too it, since I am someone with a knack for using a ton of references from movies and shows. Example, my last fic was inspired by Brother Bear, this one will have some Tarzan and Avatar (james cameron) thrown in. But I try to make this story unique still, so if you think it's just going to be Depa and Kanan all happy together, haha, you're in for a surprise. I'm an aspiring animator, mostly storyboarding, so you're going to get a lot of heartfelt character development and great writing (ok not entirely great just…. passable.) So knowing I'm an artist, you'll be seeing me tell you guys to check my Deviantart account from time to time for character concepts from this story (ok, hahah, deviantart, I know, bear with me)**

 **Lastly, to not bore you with telling you the promise of a good story and that you should try it out and all… I'm going to give you a sneak peak...**

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When the stranger held both pieces in both hands, her eyes took in every detail. Her eyes became glassy and her voice trembled as she said, "This was…. This is… I haven't seen this lightsaber since…." As if knowing what to do, she put the pieces together, secured them with a quick twist of the wrist and pressed the button to activate the lightsaber. The glowing sword shined blue in front of her, for a moment making her eyes shine with it until she closed them. Then she deactivated the lightsaber and held it tight in her hand as if she didn't want to let go. Then she looked at Kanan and said trying to hold back a sob, "I didn't think I'd ever get to see you again…. Caleb Dume…."

The masked stranger tossed Kanan's lightsaber back to him, and as he latched it back on his belt she reached her hands up to her mask. Slowly, she pulled it off her face, making the hood fall and hang on her back. She revealed a womanly face of around forty, her brown hair tied up in braids that looped from the front to the back. She had two yellow beads imbedded on her face, one on the bridge of her nose between the eyes and the other on her forehead. The others had never seen that face before, but Kanan had because it was her… his master… Depa Billaba.

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 **O_O**

 **Ok well I did tell you what would happen but… I mean… you can't go wrong with the sudden realization and emotions, it just hits you hard right? I know it's early in but tell me what you think? Yay or Nay? Want more? Comeback next Friday for the official first chapter of "Growing Lineage" I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	2. Ch 1: The Beginning

**A.N: Ok, here we go, first chapter. I hope to impress. So FYI I'm going to stick to updating this story in staurdays. Second, I take constructive criticism and headcanons. Thirdly, I respond to reviews here….**

 **Starlight: Hey! You're here! Awsome! As for the Tribe members, hmmm, you'll have to wait lol.**

 **Yuki tsubasa: Hello, and awesome! Here's the first chapter yay!**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

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 **Chapter 1: The Beginning**

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Darkness enveloped a caved sheltered from the sun rising over the mountains which its walls hid it. The ground lay flat as the cave ceiling and walls crated a dome shape. The only source of light came from a perfect circle carved two inches deep into the ground creating dip. Cracks that started from the dip grew across the grown, up the walls and to the top, like a web. Through the thin layer of rock in the dip and in the cracks aqua colored light pulsated slowly. The light gave way to show markings and pictures painted on the walls in different colors.

Suddenly, the light began to pulsate faster, as if something had triggered it.

Far down bellow the mountain base, where a river grew across and created a deep canyon, someone lay asleep in a-man made shelter on the shore. Their eyes opened revealing chocolate brown iris's as they skimmed the shelter. The owner felt a sudden pang of longing, and then shock. Someone behind the person asked in a curious voice, "Master? What's wrong?"

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A dark shadow marched through the dark undergrowth of a dense jungle as the leaves of the trees created a canopy over them and blocked the sun. Their clothing, a faded yellow long sleeve, and dark green pants, made it easier for them to camouflaged with the environment. Their heavy boots would sometimes hit a rock or the stump of a tree that hid underneath the thick brush he walked through. They had to use their gloved hands to push away vines that hung from the branches. Walking into a patch of light revealed Kanan Jarrus, a young man with brown long hair tied back and a small chin beard to match.

As his aqua blue eyes scanned his surrounding, Kanan suddenly figured out something was wrong and it began with asking himself how he got to a place like this. Was he on a mission? Where were his friends? Was Ezra supposed to be with him? Maybe Hera? Zeb? Sabine? Chopper? Kanan suddenly felt something invisible tug at his chest, telling him to look a certain way. It was, the Force, and it was growing stronger as he continued forward. Trusting his instincts as a warrior, a Jedi, Kanan looked up ahead of him to see the Force lead him towards a mountain, the snow capped peak visible over the tree line. He stopped to take a look, but as he did, the Force signaled to him something was coming.

Kanan whipped his head around just in time to see a giant winged creature of yellow with blue stripes come flying through a break in the canopy. Kanan was quick to react. Without looking away, he pulled out his weapon clinging to his side, his lightsaber. For some reason the grip felt different, like it felt unbalanced, but he didn't dare look away as the beast landed in font of him. It stood there on two strong hind legs armed with talons. The creature ruffled it's wing so that they lay flat against their sides. It craned it long neck down, tendrils growing like horns from the back of its head to hang and sway long below the head. Its reptile like head would get close him, and Kanan could see the extra flap of skin that grew like the tendrils but bellow its chin. Their long tail with winged tips swayed back and forth gently. Another beast suddenly appeared behind it. It was much like the one in front of Kanan, except it was smaller in body and features. It was blue with green stripes and three faded scars lined its belly. It gave a squawk like screech and looked at Kanan with a curious grin.

For some reason, Kanan felt the need to reach out his free hand, fingers outstretched, to link with the creature through the Force. But nothing happened. Kanan couldn't control the Force for some reason, he barely made it shift. He slightly panicked, and that when the creatures leaned close so that their long muzzles would almost touch Kanan's nose. Kanan stepped back but froze when he locked eyes with the creatures. He looked at the first one with deep blue reptile like eyes, and then looked at the other one with forest green ones. But when the creatures blinked they were no longer silted, or blue or green. The small one had dark brown eyes and the big one had lighter brown, and they were both in the shape of human eyes. It was so entrancing to Kanan, and one gaze, the bigger one, was almost familiar. He had seen those pairs of eyes, but where?

Suddenly, Kanan was no longer in the jungle. In fact, the creatures and the world around him had all but disappeared, and he was left in a dark void. He could still stand, but he just couldn't see anything it was pitch black. It became obvious to Kanan now that he must have been experiencing a dream, or a vision the Force was giving him. Trusting his training, Kanan took a deep breath and let the Force continue to give him what he needed to see. Then suddenly fire erupted in front of him. Kanan jumped back in surprise, seeing that it was a bonfire almost as tall as him. Then he heard someone singing, like an older man was chanting in a foreign language somewhere in the dark. That's when it appeared, a mask. Actually it was as if someone ripped off a large chunk of a tree bark the size of a person and painted on it. The markings resembled that of a temple guard mask, shocking Kanan. It flouted up from behind the bonfire and then suddenly came towards him in a flash. Kanan swung his lightsaber and used it to cut right through the middle of the mask. When he did, he found himself in pitch black again… and holding out a lightsaber that wasn't his.

It glowed green instead of blue, and the hilt was thin and black but somewhat similar to Kanan's. He recognized the lightsaber, and what shocked Kanan was the fact that he knew who it belonged to…. his Master… Depa Billaba.

"Caleb!" Came her voice from the dark, sounding worried.

There were times when he dreamed of his master, and he knew it was nothing but a dream. Kanan always told himself to never attach himself to something that wasn't' possible, because it would only hurt him. Depa Billaba being one of them, for she was long gone. But this time, it felt so real to Kanan that some part of him believed she was out there in the dark calling to him. "Master!" He yelled out.

"Kanan." Came another feminine voice, more melodic and relaxed.

Knowing who it was and wondering how she was here, Kanan yelled out, "Hera?"

"Kanan!" She yelled louder.

At that moment, Kanan's eyes shot open and he found himself staring at a gray ceiling. As he sat up and looked around, Kanan found he was no longer in the world his dream gave him. He was on his bed in his room on the Ghost. Kanan sighed in relief, thankful that he was still on board the familiar freighter then some unknown region he'd never been to. But still, knowing for sure now it was a vision, Kanan couldn't ignore where the vision had taken him.

"Did you hear me?" Came Hera's voice again, a but more irritated than before. Hearing her voice come from behind his door, Kanan looked at it and imagined the green-skinned Twi'lek standing outside, arms crossed and with an irritated look on her face. "I said nap time's over. Don't make me come in there and wake you."

Kanan chuckled, remembering now that he asked Hera to wake him after his hour long nap. Then he stood up, and as he looked down at himself wearing his regular clothing, he said coyly, "You make it sound like you don't want to come in." Seeing he was missing his right arm armor, Kanan walked up to the chair in his room where he had left it on the seat.

As he strapped it on, Kanan heard Hera say equally as coyly, "Maybe some other time, Luv, but we got to prepare to get off. Sato said we had to meet with his friend at least by the end of the day."

Kanan smiled, knowing how important this meeting was to Hera. He assured her, "I'll be out in a minute for the brief."

"All right." Hearing footsteps fade away, Kanan made sure his arm plate was secure and he went to his bed. He kneeled down and pulled open a drawer to reveal his lightsaber. Usually, he would reach over and just grab it without a second thought, but as he let his hand hover over it, he remembered the dream. Depa's lightsaber in his hands. What did it mean? Maybe he should be instilling more form three fighting techniques into Ezra's training? Maybe Kanan should be going back to more form three basics himself?

Then he remembered her voice, Depa's soft but strong tone. Kanan tried to physically shake it out of him. He only ever looked back when it came to the lessons Depa Billaba taught him. It helped him in battle, in training Ezra, kept him close to the light. But the feeling, the need to see and hear her, he would do his best to forget. It would make him feel… just pain. Sadness would overwhelm him. He would remember why she was no longer here…no matter how many times he told himself that it was the clones, programmed to turn their back on the Jedi, Kanan couldn't help but feel the small part of it that said he could have done something to stop it… he felt guilt.

Kanan forced himself to shake it off and he grabbed his lightsaber. He could make time later to meditate on the vision, but for now, there was a mission and he had to focus on finishing it. Then he grabbed his blaster with his holster and fastened it on. Soon he was out of his room and down the hall.

He got to the cockpit just in time for the briefing. Hera was at the pilot seat, as usual, letting the ship fly through hyperspace. Sabine was sitting right behind Hera, the Mandalorian polishing her helmet. The biggest and only Lasat in the room, Zeb, sat across from Sabine. The youngest of the crew leaned against the side of Zeb's chair. Ezra had his arms crossed as he focused on the map Chopper, their C1 droid, projected from the front of the room. As Kanan walked down to his seat next to Hera, Zeb asked sarcastically, "Sheets got stuck to you, boss?"

"Everyone needs some good rest here and there, Zeb." Kanan replied with a smirk. He looked at Hera. "Did I miss something?"

"I was just explaining how new the rebel cell on Arret was," She said.

"Explains why we didn't hook up with them last time we were Kaller's system," Sabine commented. Hearing the name of the system, the same name of it's main planet, made Kanan squeeze the right armrest of his chair, out of view of everyone. How ironic he had a vision of his Master's lightsaber when they were headed towards the same system she was killed on.

Hera pointed to a large rundown building on the map at the outskirts of a town. "The cell is secretly stationed in this warehouse in Moga City. To the Empire, they run it as a rent space to dock ships, so when we fly in we're just another ship looking for a place to land."

"The Empire at this point knows who the Ghost belongs to." Zeb pointed out. "They'll see us."

"There isn't much rebel activity to call attention to the Empire…. Yet… so they only have soldiers stationed in the middle of town where the markets are and then at a factory on the other side of town." Chopper had the map zoom from the outskirts, cross the town, and then stop at a large building with steam pipes.

"What's so important there that they keep lockouts there?" Ezra asked.

"They turn minerals found on Arret's soil to use later to create metals for weapons on Star Destroyers. That's not the real reason though. Apparently ten years ago someone rigged it to blow. I don't know if they were successful or not, but no ones made an attempt since." This bit of information intrigued Kanan, but he wasn't going to say much about it.

Ezra said, "So while they're busy defending a factory that hasn't been attacked in over ten years, we sneak in the other way. Talk about stupidly easy."

"That's why we still need to be careful," Hera said, "If we want to succeed and get the information we need, we stay on our toes."

"I thought we were dropping off supplies for the new cell," Sabine said, finally looking up from her helmet.

"We are." Hera explained, "We're trading supplies for information."

"What kind of information?" Zeb asked.

"Possible bases for Phoenix Squadron." A light on the control panel blinked on and off, making everyone turn to the sound and for Chopper to let the map disappear. Hera pressed a few buttons on the control panel and pulled down a latch. The ship came to a stop as the ever changing lights of hyperspace faded and were replaced with the darkness of space speckled with stars. Coming up to them, growing bigger as the ship got closer, was a planet spotted with acres of forest green and the gray of small cities.

"Not a single Star Destroyer," Ezra commented.

Chopper made a few dissatisfied whur-whur sounds. Sabine responded, "Don't worry Chop. There is still a chance for action. There's always a little but of the Empire somewhere."

Kanan dared not look at the other planet that was covered in green just out of the corner of his eye. To keep from looking at Kaller, he stood up from his chair and said, "Get yourselves on guns, in case we do fly into trouble on the way in." Everyone nodded, leaving the room and taking their posts on the Ghost. Kanan staid with Hera. Fortunately for the crew of the Ghost, it was a smooth sail into Arret. They got through the atmosphere and flew across the night sky until they saw the city ahead. Hera steered the ship to fly lower as they got closer. Once they made it the outskirts, Hera located the warehouse and hovered over the glass roof acting as a skylight. Suddenly, the roof split into two doors to reveal a hanger inside large enough to fit two freighters like the Ghost.

As Hera landed the ship inside, Kanan went down to the cargo hold where Ezra already was. The boy sat on a crate surrounded by five others as he fixed up his lightsaber. Kanan joined him to do the same. As he separated his weapon into to two and secured it on his belt, Ezra said, "You know, I couldn't help but feel you a bit off since you woke up from your nap. Anything to say?" Kanan froze, knowing he should have been more careful with his emotions when being around his Padawan. Ezra added, "And don't say 'never mind that' because that's what you said plenty of times last time we were in Kaller's system."

"You know I told you a while after that mission why that was, right?"

"I know it's where your master…" Ezra faltered knowing it was a touchy subject for Kanan. Ezra then said, "But I'm talking about you waking up. You felt restless about something else."

Kanan knew he wasn't going to easily get out of this one without an excuse, so he just said, "I was but I'll deal with it later. We got a mission to finish first."

"Not exactly an action packed mission where—" Ezra stopped when he noticed his master was giving him a raised eyebrow with a pleading look. "Ok, ok, but I'm not going to forget about it."

"Yeah, yeah…" Kanan agreed, dissatisfactory. Sabine and Zeb joined them just as the ship made a gentle landing and the ramp opened up. Once it came down everyone grabbed a crate and pushed it out of the cargo hold into the dark hanger. Hera and Chopper joined them once all five crates had been pushed out. Hera told the others, "Ok, so this is a friend of Sato's, so please stay professional—"

She was cut off when suddenly the lights went on and a door at the far end of the warehouse slid open. An Aqualish man walked into the room and began to say with a goofy like grin, "Ah! It's good to finally meet—" Suddenly one of the overhead lights blew and let sparks rain and scatter around him. "Mother of Moons! Sarsley!" He looked back into the room he came from, "I thought you said you got someone to fix the lights to keep from overheating!"

Someone, a womanly voice, responded from the other side, "I was going to, emphasize on the word was, because then you had me do more of your chores."

"No I did—I oh wait did I have you—?"

"YES!"

"Not so Professional, are they?" Zeb stated. Hera just pursed her lips in annoyance, knowing Zeb had a point.

The Aqualish finished with. "Ok, ok, yeesh" Then he turned back to walk towards the rebels. "Sorry about that, we planned to make this visit more um… welcoming."

Once he got up to Hera and shook her hand, the pilot said, "It's fine. Sato did say you had been getting started. That's why he sent these supplies for you guys. A crate of weaponry, emergency food—"

"Ah yes!" the Aqualish exclaimed, going up to the crate in front of Zeb and patting the lid. "The whole package. I owe it to that man. Give him my thanks from his old friend Coryn the next time you see him."

"Will do." Hera assured Coryn.

"And I owe you all something too, right? Hang on I—" He stopped when he reached into his pocket and felt nothing there. "Maybe it's in the other—nope—hold on just a—" He looked back at the door he came from, "Sarsley!"

"If you're going to ask for the map, you left it right here," came a reply.

"Oh thank goodness, thought I lost that map to search for your base," Coryn said non-chalantly. Hera gave a forced smile, though on the inside she was a bit irritated at the disorganization. Coryn the said, "You know, with all this going on I should at least make up for it. It would be rude not to. There's a nice cantina near this part of Moga. Drinks on me?"

"Um…" Hera began.

"I could go for something," Zeb stated.

"And we're not needed back with Phoenix so soon." Sabine added.

Kanan wanted to agree right away, but he could see Hera struggling. She was always worried the fleet would need them always at a moments notice. Kanan needed to get her to relax, and this might be the best chance he could get her to do that. Kanan said, "Come on Hera. It's been a while since we got to set foot on land and not have to run right after. Besides, if the fleet needs us, they'll call us."

Hera looked at Kanan skeptically, but then she sighed and gave a smile in understanding. "All right, Coryn, you lead the way."

"Great! Let's just go by Sarsely and get the map. I can explain to you details on it while we're out. Keep this business like, shall we?"

Hera said to Chopper, "Stay on the Ghost, just in case we need to make a quick get away."

Chopper made two grunt sounds which made Ezra say, "You don't drink. Why do you care?" Chopper poked at Ezra's leg hard with a small metal arm. Sabine said, "He has a point, Ezra."

Chopper staid by the ship as Coryn had the crew follow him out the hanger and into the room he came from. It was actually a small hallway and on the other side were doors leading to other rooms. Coryn stopped by one and before he could open it, a female Mon Calamari opened the door and handed him a small chip. "You know…" She began with a smirk, "Going to Agra's is not business-like behavior."

"Haha." Coryn laughed sarcastically and swiped the disk from her. "Yeah you say that now, but who's idea was it for this rebel station, Sarsley?"

The Mon Calamari could only huff and cross her arms as Coryn began to walk down the hall to another door at the end. As the Ghost crew passed her by, Sarsley said, "Have fun." Before she could walk back in, her eyes landed on Kanan and she froze. For a second their eyes met, but Kanan didn't let it linger and he moved on. Sarsely though, she still watched as Kanan and the rest of them walked out of the door and into the street. When they were gone, Sarsley let the door of the room shut behind her and went back to the work she was doing earlier. She was trying to finish turning the office into a storage room for supplies, but now as the face of the man was imprinted in her mind, she couldn't stop thinking about it.

Sarsley had seen that face before. Somewhere. The Mon Calamari finished cleaning out one cabinet and she moved to a closet in the corner of the room. She opened it, finding different types of clothing hanging inside. "Coryn, you pig." KnowingCoryn had left this place for garbage and forgot all about the clothing,Sarsley grabbed it and threw it into a pile behind her. When her hand grabbed a black coat, she stopped and held it in her hand. Seeing it in detail, she gasped. This was actually hers, but it hadn't always been. Remembering who else who had worn it helpedSarsley remember why Kanan had looked so familiar. "Her Padawan."

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 **A.N: Kk, so what did you guys think? Comment, give me your thoughts So It's ominous in the beginning, but it gets more familiar as we progress, then we meet some new people and what do you know, it's the beginning of a mystery here. Whelp, get ready because it gets better. Ok, so next staurday, ok, I'll see you then. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	3. Ch 2: Who's Marmee

**A.N: Wow! I got a lot of good response out of the first chapter. I'm very happy! SQUEEE! Ok. In addition, I'm adding a new segment to my stories; Fun Facts. Just little facts about each chapter at the end.**

 **Yuki tsubasa: *takes deep breath* Oh, thanks, I'm glad I'm keeping you excited.**

 **Starlight: Ooo, have fun in Rome. Maybe she will I can't say…. Not even sabine can drink, but you'll see. Soon, within five chapters, I'll give you that.**

 **Kita Ronin: There's just something about that system, ahahah. Wow, I'm so happy you like that scene because it's not entirely Star Wars, so I worried how most would take it. But happy you love it!**

 **DeviLSPR: I love that exclamation LOL, made my day.**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 2: Who's Marmee**

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"… and just water for the kids," Hera said finishing up on their order. Kanan, who sat next to Coryn's left, looked around the room.

The crew and Coryn were in the back of a Cantina. On walking in it was somewhat empty, but the place slowly got full as the day turned to night outside. He was worried Imperial sympathizers would recognize them, but Coryn assured them the only Imperials that came here were soldiers off duty and that was late into the night.

Their waitress, and the owner of the bar, Agra, took the last of the order, saying "All right," as she wrote it down on a paper. Then she looked at Coryn across from Hera and asked, "And the usual for you?"

"Yep, and extra foamy." He said, excited.

"Coming right up," Agra said and she left the table and headed for the bar at the back of the room.

Coryn held out the disk to Hera and said, "So here is the thing. The stats I have on these planets are a year old. The Empire may have set foot on some of them since then and can no longer serve as a base. But there are three I'm certain will be good. Haina, Maana, and 0623."

From his spot between Zeb and Sabine, Ezra repeated, "0623?"

"It's a planet in wild space with no name, much like the rest of them," Coryn explained. Zeb grunted, knowing that wasn't entirely true being how he helped find Lira San a little more then a while ago. He wasn't going to interrupt, though. "Haina and Maana have a low populous and no resource for the Empire to extort. But if you want no populous, 0623 is your best bet. Also, maps, scanners, and frequencies get distorted easily on that planet, making it hard for the Empire to track you there if you decide to stick around."

"How is that possible?" Sabine asked.

"No one knows. The only reason we know this is because the planet was able to obstruct Imperial sensors."

The Mandalorian raised an eyebrow. "The Empire is too proud to let that kind of information get out."

"Not unless your Sarsley," Came another voice. Everyone looked and saw Agra walk to them with a tray in hand holding their drinks. Seeing their shocked reaction made the large women chuckle and said, "Yeah I heard you, but don't worry, I'm not someone to report anyone to the authorities. Just as long as I'm not in your rebel business."

As she handed Coryn his drink, the Aqualish said, "Ah, come on, Agra, you'd make a great addition."

"Hey, I got you a table in the far back so you can have whatever secret meeting your having. That's as far as I'll go." Agra then handed everyone else their respective drinks.

Kanan wondered what Agra had said earlier and asked, "What about Sarsley? What does she know?"

Coryn explained, "The reason we know Imperial sensors don't work there was because they chased a friend of hers from Arret to that planet."

"Was this friend important to the Empire?" Kanan asked.

"A fugitive. Sarsley helped her hide on Arret under a new identity until she was accused of helping set up the bomb on the factory ten years ago."

Kanan smiled, happy he had been right to feel the information on the factory was important. "So the bomb was not a rumor."

"Heck no," Agra said, as she handed Ezra his glass of water, "But Marmee was definitely not involved. The sad thing is that she was working here in the bar and when the Imperials saw she was conversing with the ones responsible. They thought she was in on it. Chased her out of Arret, shot her out of Hyperspace and she landed on that 06 whatever planet Coryn named."

"How did they shoot this Marmee out of Hyperspace?" Zeb asked astonished.

"Sarsley knows more details since she's was trying to keep track of Marmee. She's the one that gets Imperial information without getting caught. Don't ask me how."

"Point is…" Coryn cut in, "Is that Sarsley managed to find out the Empire knew Marmee's real identity, took long to track her down on 0623 because scanners were bad, but in the end managed to kill her."

"I wouldn't go saying that in front of Sarsley," Agra said before leaving.

"What does that mean?" Hera asked.

Coryn took a sip of his drink then set the jug down. "Sarsley and Marmee were good friends. That Mon Calamari believes she survived and the Empire was lying. Even if they were lyin', there is no telling how long Marmee stayed alive marooned on that uninhabited planet until the elements got to her."

Everyone nodded in understanding, knowing how hard it was to accept the death of someone close, even though it was obvious what happened. Kanan, of course, had his losses, but he couldn't stop thinking of this Marmee. "What was her real identity?"

"Only Sarsley knows. And she won't tell anyone. Sarsley owes it to Marmee to keep her identity a secret, even if she might be—"

The door of the cantina opened and all eyes in the bar turned to it. Sarsley slowly walked in, now sporting a black coat. Seeing her as just another costumer, people went back to their conversations they had at their tables. For Coryn and the crew, they watched her walk towards them. "Speak of the devil…" Coryn began.

Sarsley stopped at the edge of the table and put her hands on it as if she was going to address something. She didn't but instead stared at Kanan. Everyone became slightly uncomfortable, especially the Jedi. Coryn leaned his head towards the table to get into Sarsley's view, "Hello, anyone in there—agh!" Sarsley pushed his face back with one hand and with the other she pulled out something from the inside pocket of the coat. Everyone became defensive, especially since she hadn't spoken a word and looked like she was going to pull out a weapon. But with the Force, Kanan sensed her actions weren't hostile, but desperate. He held out an extended arm to the others as Sarsley pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. She let it roll out on the table to show it was a bounty poster with a familiar face on it. Sarsley asked, "Is this you?"

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the bounty poster, seeing…. Kanan. Though the bounty said the young man of around twenty was unidentified, the crew had been with Kanan long enough to recognize him as the young man on the poster. "Wow," Ezra stated.

"Looks like you kept more hair on the jaw then the chin there," Zeb commented with a laugh. Kanan pursed his lip in a pout and gave a glare to the Lasat next to him.

Hera smiled and pointed a finger at the poster, "I thought you said you were good at going around the galaxy undetected before we met on Gorse."

"Undetected could mean different things." Kanan tried to say holding his hands up in surrender to show he was innocent. All Hera did was raise an eyebrow.

"So, this—this is you," Sarsley said excited, hearing how the conversation was going.

"Yea-yeah why?" Kanan asked, wondering if he should have said no. He barely knew the Mon Calamari and yet he senses he could trust her.

"So that means you're—"

"Woah—woah—woah—" Coryn said, quickly getting up from his chair so fast that the chair scooted back a few feet. He held his arms out in the table as he looked out the open door of the Cantina. "I have no idea what's going on Sarsley, but can it wait?"

The Mon Calamari gave him an annoyed look, "Why?"

"Buckets inbound."

Everyone looked back at the door and got a view of the street outside. Though it was dark, they could still see the shiny white armor of Stormtroopers headed into the Cantina. "Ah, space apples," Sarsley cursed. "Someone outside must have seen you walk in."

"You said no one would let them know." Zeb growled at the Aqualish.

"I said someone in the Cantina, not out of I," Coryn tried to reason, slightly scared at how Zeb bared his teeth.

"Agra." Sarsley called, motioning to the woman behind the bar counter. "Buckets inbound."

The women grunted and walked around the counter, throwing a rag harshly on the table top. "I swear you two are going to give me grey hairs early for these things," Agra hissed as she walked by the table. "Take the back."

Sarsley said to the crew and Coryn, "Ok, I'm in charge of the rest of this mission until you get off this rock. Follow me," Sarsley began to walk quickly to the back door of the Cantina with the rebels following behind. Coryn took the back. At this point everyone in the Cantina had noticed the large group leave, wondering something was up now with Stormtroopers at the door. Before the rebels left they heard one soldier at the door say, "We need to come in, Miss. There is possibility of rebels—"

The last thing the others heard was Agra say, with attitude, "Nuh, uh. Last time I let one of you on duty into my bar there was a whole mess I had to clean up after. Come back when you're not ready to blast someone to smithereens."

The door shut behind the group and everyone found themselves in the kitchen. Sarsley took a deep breath. "You can always count on Agra to get you out. Coryn?"

"We took the small transport here. It's parked in the back."

"Then let's get them out of here," Sarsley said, going out another door next to her.

Hera reached into her pocket and pulled out a communicator. "Chop, fire up the Ghost, we got a make a quick get away."

Minutes later, Coryn and Sarsley had brought the Ghost crew back to the warehouse, but they weren't safe yet. When they got into the main hanger, they say the ramp of the cargo hold open with Chopper waving at them from there. They heard the run of the engines as the ship was prepped to leave. Coryn was quick to move the supply crates out of the way so the ship wouldn't knock them down on the way out. Zeb, Sabine, and Ezra were the first inside, Hera giving them orders. "Get on guns, we might find trouble on the way out."

Coryn called out to her, making the Twi'lek stop and look back at him at the bottom of the ramp. "I'll open the roof to let you out. Remember what I said about those planets…. And good luck."

"Thanks." Hera said with a smile, giving him a curt nod of gratitude before running up the ramp again and then to the ladder leading up to the cockpit. Coryn then ran down the hanger and to a control panel at the far end of the room. Kanan was the last one in the cargo hold, but stooped just as he heard Sarsley yelled out to him, "Wait!"

He looked back at her as she said, "Did Coryn say anything of the planet 0623?"

"Yes, your friend is there, Marmee right?" Kana said. Suddenly the ramp of the cargo hold began to go up. Kanan figured Hera was getting the ship ready to fly.

Sarsley saw this too and she needed to make this quick while she was still in earshot. "You need to go there and find her."

"Sarsley, I don't know if we can. She might not be there."

"For your sake, she has to be!" When she said this the ramp went high enough to block the view between Sarsley and Kanan.

Confused, he yelled out, "What? Why?"

"Because she's-" and the ramp then closed, blocking any noise from outside. Kanan stood there, feeling bad he couldn't hear the rest. But he knew whatever Sarsley said must have been important. She knew him from the bounty poster from ten years ago, and knowing who he was connected him to this Marmee somehow. Kanan felt it, through the Force, that Sarsley wanted to help him, and going to 0623 was going to help in some way. The ship lurched forward, and Kanan had to lean on the wall to keep from falling over. He figured they were out of the warehouse and already flying away from the city. Kanan went up the ladder to the cockpit and found Hera yelling at Chopper as she flew the ship away from the outskirts of town. "Phoenix Squadron is halfway across the galaxy right now, we can't catch up to them. Use Coryn's map I gave you and pick a planet." The droid responded, sounding like he was suggesting something. Hera replied, "That one may have Imperials on it. Pick the ones named—"

"0623." Kanan cut in.

"What?" Hera asked surprised, looking back at him. Suddenly, two signals came up on the map on the control panel. "Looks like two TIE fighters coming over the hill." She said.

"Better get out before they figure out where we left the Ghost—"

Without warning, Hera pulled up on the wheel and the ship shot straight up. "Whoa!" Kanan cried out as he almost fell back but he quickly grabbed the chair next to Hera and strapped in.

Once she leveled the ship, she said with a smirk, "Don't think I didn't know to do that." She turned on the communicator. "Everyone ready."

"Spectre four ready." "Spectre five, set and ready." "Spectre six, I'm good to go."

"Ok." Hera said, then looked at Kanan. She knew she heard Kanan right, and she wanted to disagree considering 0623 was in wild space. But they had no time to argue, they did have a way to chart Wild Space thanks to Zeb's friends, and Chopper was slow at picking. "Spectre 3. Set us on course to 0623."

Chopper rolled to the back right wall of the ship. He pulled out his rod and set the coordinates through the input on the panel. As the Ghost flew out of Arret, Zeb took aim at one of the TIE's that came into view from behind. With just two quick shots, he managed to destroy it. The other TIE though speeded up past the Ghost and made a wide arc to meet it at the front. "Spectre five and six, you're up," Zeb said.

"I've got it!" Ezra yelled from his spot down at the turret gun.

Sabine, sitting on guns on the roof, spun it around a 180 to face the TIE now coming full speed up front. "Whoever gets it first!"

Ezra smiled. "You're on!"

Hera yelled, "I don't care who gets it, just get it!"

The TIE continued to keep getting closer and closer, its aim on the ship getting almost on target. Kanan and Hera leaned over on their seat in anticipation, as if doing so would just get the TIE to move out of the way. At that moment, Ezra and Sabine each aimed for either wing and fired. The TIE's wings were blown off and the cockpit flew past the ship. Zeb watched it fall down towards Arret and he said through the com, "We're good!"

Hera saw a small light on the panel in front of her flash, meaning Chopper got the coordinates locked and ready. Hera saw a clear view of space in front of her and said loud and proud, "And we're out of here!" She pulled down the latch on her right and the ship lurched forward into hyperspace.

Simultaneously, Hera and Kanan leaned back on their seat and took a deep breath of relief. "Well, that was fun," Kanan commented.

Hera raised an eyebrow at him, and give him a smirk. Zeb, Sabine, and Ezra soon walked in. The Lasat was in first, sitting down on his chair with an annoyed expression on his face as Sabine and Ezra argued. The boy was saying, "…. Pretty clear I'm the one who shot it down first."

"Nuh-ugh," Sabine objected as she went to sit down in her seat. "I keep telling you I had that right wing clipped off within seconds. Just admit it."

"Would it help to say I saw you both shoot it down at the same time," Zeb interjected.

"You weren't even facing that way," Ezra pointed out. Zeb just rolled his eyes and rested back on his seat, giving up.

"Ok, kids," Hera interjected, "Settle down. By the way, you both shot it down at the same time."

"Aw…" Sabine and Ezra whined.

It only got quiet for a few moments until Zeb finally said, "Think the cell down there will be fine."

Hera bit her lip nervously. She did make sure that the TIE's never spotted them leaving the warehouse, but if someone outside the cantina saw them walk in, then someone may have spotted them from outside the warehouse. "I'll give it an hour before I call Coryn, make sure things quiet down."

Kanan nodded and looked outside into the tunnel of hyperspace, the ever-changing blue hues flashing by. He thought of the cell, then of Sarsley. What was she going to say to him? And he wasn't the only one thinking of it. Ezra said from his spot next to Zeb, "So, what was all that with Sarsley before we got caught?"

All eyes were on Kanan now, and he knew he wasn't going to get out of it until he explained. Especially Hera. The Twi'lek had to know why he was on that poster to begin with. Kanan turned his seat around to face everyone as he began, "Well, you guys know I jumped around a lot from planet to planet before I joined the rebellion. And sure I've said I was careful but… I mean I did get into trouble with the Empire a couple of times. That poster is just one of many."

"Seriously?" Sabine said surprised.

"Yeah, so I don't know the details of that poster specifically, or how it got to Arret because I had never been to that planet until now." Seeing Hera wasn't satisfied, Kanan added, "Ok if it makes you feel better, I was never on those posters because they found out I was a Jedi or anything."

Hera then said, "So for some reason it was important to Sarsley. She doesn't look the bounty hunter type."

"That's not it. Sarsley managed to say something to me before we left. Apparently since I'm the one on the poster, it connects me somehow to this Marmee person."

Hera's eyes widened in realization, "That's why you wanted us to go to 0623."

"That's where we're headed?" Zeb asked. "What about those other two good sounding ones?"

"For the sake of the mission we should at least check it out." Hera reasoned. "Besides, we have charts of wild space thanks to your friends. We'll be good."

Ezra added, "But if there is a chance we do find thisMarmee alive, then we'll see whatSarsley meant to search for her. MaybeSarsley meant for Marmee to help us. After all, she's a fugitive to the Empire. The enemy of our enemy is our friend, right?" Kanan knew Ezra had a point, but again, for almost the fifth time that day, he felt there was just another reason that he couldn't quite figure out.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **A.N: I don't think the 'enemy of my enemy' logic worked so well on Malachor, but I'm getting way ahead sorry. Ok so Coryn gave them they're bases for the picking, but looks like there's more to one of them. And Sarsley just made it even more interesting. Hopefully the rebels got out of there in time, for the Cell on Arret's sake. Next, we get to see what 0623 is like. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**

 **Fun Facts:**

 **1)** **Haina and Maana mean "Useless" in Swahili. Sorry Zeb, they aren't as good sounding as you said.**

 **2)** **0623 is the month and day of my birthday, June 23** **rd** **, so yes it's coming up very soon.**

 **3)** **Coryn's name from Nyroc/Coryn in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series. Marmee's name from Marmee in "Little Women"**


	4. Ch 3: The Planet

**A.N: And back again, hopefully I didn't lose your interest. We're getting better I promise! Anyway. Guess who'se going to Sanf Fransisco and to lightsaber training…. Me! Maybe I can use what I learn and put it into the story.**

 **Starlight: It adds more suspense if Kanan finds out himself. Don't worry, this and next chapter it's all about meeting Depa.**

 **DeviLSPR: Same, it just backfires. But it works this time somehow.**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Planet**

* * *

They were only in hyperspace for another ten minutes until Hera pulled up the latch and brought them out. Replacing the glowing tunnel was endless black space with stars scattered around. A star shined brightly far ahead and three moons surrounded a planet that was almost completely covered in green. "This is it," Hera began, "0623."

"Holy…." Sabine began. "That's a lot of forest."

"How is that the moons just don't collide with each other," Zeb asked. "Let alone that planet."

"Could be that gravity isn't so strong on those moons," Sabine suggested.

Ezra extended his senses, letting the Force tell him what it was like down there. He was hit with a wave of peace and tranquility. Kanan looked at Ezra, seeing the boy rest his arms on the head rest of the chair as a grin grew on his face. "What?" Kanan asked.

"Don't you feel that? No sign of the Empire. Everything is just still, and peaceful."

Kanan extended his senses to see what Ezra meant and felt the same thing. "Your right." Then Kanan leaned back, "It's kind of relaxing."

Hera brought the Ghost closer, passing through the atmosphere and then leveling out to fly over a vast jungle. A mountain capped with snow up ahead grew as they flew closer. "Looks nice so far," Zeb stated.

"Seems a little too perfect." Sabine added. Chopper rolled up next to Hera and said something to her in droid speak.

Hera responded, "Fine, to make up for our last adventure, we can touch down and take a closer look and you can come…" She faltered. Hera noticed Kanan's eyes grow big as he stared at the jungle ahead and the mountain coming up. She said, "I know that look. Something's wrong."

Everyone looked at Kanan as he forced himself out of his daze. He said to the others, "I've been here before."

"You have?"

"Not like physically, I mean in a dream. Or a vision."

"Oh great," Zeb grumbled. "Jedi mumboo jumbo."

"What did you see?" Ezra asked.

"Well I was in the jungle, not flying over it, and I saw the top of the mountain." Realizing what he was doing, Kanan sighed and said, "But there are probably thousands of planets like these with jungles and mountains."

"But you had this vision today right? That's why you were restless?"

"Ezra I know what you're trying to do and I appreciate it, but remember we can't let visions get in the way of a mission."

Suddenly, the maps on the control panel became distorted and some blinkers flashed on and off in random patterns. "Something's jamming our signal." Everyone watched as Hera pressed a few buttons on the panel but couldn't fix the problem. She grumbled then said, "Chopper, can you go to the back and check if the source is from us."

As Chopper went back to the right wall where the controls were, Sabine stated, "Coryn did say this place was good to hide from the Empire because signal was bad."

"Yeah well, it's messing up our signal too." Hera sighed. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

Kanan noticed how the maps became more and more distorted as they got closer and closer to the mountain. Something there… was strong in the Force. Ezra went back to the previous conversation, "Kanan, I know what you've said about visions and missions before, but mostly it was because it was me. This is you, Master, and you know how to interpret them better then me." That wasn't entirely true, but Ezra did have a point on Kanan having more experience. Besides, there was something going on on this planet to which the Force gave him a vision of it. Maybe it was telling him this was the right planet they were looking for to make a base. "What else was in your dream?" Ezra asked. "Maybe there is more to it?"

"I need to think on it…. but there was a bonfire…. And a mask… these creatures…. And my…" he faltered before he could mention his master's lightsaber.

Sabine looked out the window and her eyes widened in shock. She said, "Did these creatures have long necks and could fly?"

"Yeah, how did you—" Sabine pointed out the window and saw two large creatures flying towards them. Kanan gasped, "Those are the same exact ones from my vision."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"So what do we do?" Hera asked. "Go on the defensive, or go Purgil on them?" she said the last part with a smile, referring to their last mission.

"They didn't attack me in my vision—" Suddenly, something huge landed on the ship, making it rock violently in air. Anyone who wasn't sitting, specifically Ezra and Chopper, were thrown to the back of the cockpit. Hera grabbed the wheel tight and shifted the Ghost back level. From Hera's side of the window, a large head came around quick and tried to use its large jaws to bite down on the glass, making Hera jump back in her seat. Another head, to Kanan's side of the window, tried to do the same thing and slam its head through the glass. The Jedi yelled, "But I've been wrong before!"

Two more of the blue creatures came flying out from below the ship, making an arc in front before diving towards them. They landed on the roof, their talons grabbing hold of the metal surface while they using their wings to pull back. It made the Ghost sway back and forth and lean nose forward towards the jungle.

"They're forcing us down," Hera stated as she tried to keep the ship level, strain growing on her face.

Ezra got up from where he was thrown to and suggested, "On guns?"

"On guns!" Hera ordered, and everyone was out. Once again, Kanan was left with Hera and Chopper. The two at the window were still trying to bite through. "Chopper, reroute auxiliary power to the the haul."

Chopper did so, plugging into the input in the back. Electricity sparked on the window where the creatures made contact. They gave a screech and flew away. As Hera ordered Chopper to route power back to weaponry, Kanan caught a glimpse of the first two they spotted. The blue one flew by the ship out of Kanan's view. The largest of them all, the only yellow one, began to circle the ship from overhead. It made no move to attack and Kanan wondered why that was. Suddenly he spotted something small and brown on the base of its neck and on its spine. Kanan couldn't make it out though.

Zeb saw the first blue one fly by the ship and make an ark around to come for another attack. Zeb took aim and began to fire, but not one of his shots made contact. The creatures maneuvered around in a series of twirls and spins, as if it anticipated every shot. Before it made contact with the back of the ship, the creature veered away. Sabine and Ezra did their best to shoot at their own attackers. Sabine nicked one on the wing as it flew high over the ship. Ezra got another by the tail before it could attack from the front. Then the boy saw another blue one fly by the front of the ship and he noticed how it stopped for a moment to take one glance before making a decision to attack or not. "Ohhhh…. It's like the Purgil." Ezra stated.

From above him, Hera said rolling eyes, "Please don't tell me what I think your thinking."

"These creatures are intelligent. I've seen it and don't even need the Force to tell me. They're not attacking us for nothing, there's a reason."

"Ezra's right." Kanan said as he looked at the yellow one that continued to circle above them. "And you said it yourself Hera, they're forcing us down. If they wanted to they could tear this ship apart right now."

The ship lurched forward as another blue creature dug its hind claws into the ship and pulled back so the nose would go forward. Hera pulled back on the wheel to keep the Ghost level as she asked desperately, "So what do they want?"

"That I don't know." Kanan said.

"But we can figure it out." Ezra said, leaving his post on the turret guns and running down the hall.

"Ezra…"

As the Padawan went down the ladder and to the cargo bay, he explained. "Let me connect with them. If I can do it with the Purgil, who's to say I can't do it with these things."

"So what are you going to do?" Sabine asked over the com.

Ezra went to a panel on the wall next to the ramp and pressed a button. The ramp began to open. A red light flashed on Hera's control panel and she yelled, "Ezra!"

"Trust me Hera, they're not going to just glide by my window, I need to get their attention."

Kanan wanted to disagree because it was dangerous, but he knew there was no stopping his Padawan now. He jumped off his chair and slid down the ladder, "I'll make sure he doesn't fall off." Kanan got down to the cargo hold, watching as Ezra, now sporting his colorful cadet helmet, was on the wall on the right. He was holding on to a handle bar as the wind from outside came and whipped through the large room. As Kanan ran to the boy, joining him by holding on to the handle bar, the first blue creature they spotted suddenly came in. It was so big, it almost filled the entire room. It's dew claws on the wings dug into the walls and hind claws kept it secure on the ramp. Its nostril flared as it thrust its head in and snapped its jaws towards Kanan and Ezra. Noticing the long scar lining the creature's belly, Kanan's eyes widened. It was the same one in his dream, the curious one. Maybe Ezra was right to connect with it, but so far he wasn't doing anything. "While we're alive Ezra!" Kanan yelled, holding on to the back of the boys vest as Ezra stepped forward and let go of the handle bar.

Ezra held his arm out, fingers outstretched and called on the Force around them. He attempted to use the peaceful feeling he felt in the jungle to surround the creature and calm it down. "That's it… it's ok…" the creature recoiled its head and blinked at Ezra, a surprised growl getting caught in its throat. For a second, Kanan could feel the air around them sit still as the creature calm down and Ezra connected with it. The sudden feeling of pride vanished when Kanan saw something move at the base of the creature neck. Was that a person? The creature shook its head and gave a roar. "AH!" Ezra yelled, stepping back and realizing he had failed in connecting. Seeing this too, Kanan pulled his Padawan behind him and then used his hand to grab his blaster and fire at the creature. It avoided every shot, then swung its head back so that when it came down it slammed right into the Kanan. The impact was so hard, he was already knocked out when he hit the wall and then fell limp to the floor.

"Kanan!" Ezra yelled. Then he got defensive, pulling out his blaster and firing electric bolts. Again the creature avoided it and tried to slam its head into Ezra. The boy jumped and rolled to the side to dodge the attack, but when he did an attack on the roof shook the Ghost and made it lean back. Ezra lost his footing and he began to slip down towards the open ramp, "No, no, no!" He yelled as he tried to claw at the floor, just as he got close to the edge, talons wrapped around his torso and he was suddenly flying over the jungle and away from the Ghost going down. "HEY!" Ezra yelled, looking at the blue creature as it kept a hold of him with its hind claws "LET GO! STOP! NO, NO LET GO!"

Hera felt the ship rock back and forth again, this time the source coming from below in the cargo bay. She tried to go on com and say, "Ezra, Kanan! Did it work? What's going on?" She didn't get a response, which made her get a lot more nervous then she already was. The ship was being attacked and going down by the helm, and two of her crew were not responding. She took a quick glance at the monitors and at the screen showing and empty cargo bay. The little second of distraction, and feeling of worry, was enough for the giant yellow creature to sour down grab the haul of the ship by the talons and pull down. The sudden impact was hard enough to have Hera slam her head into the control panel and get knocked out. Sabine and Zeb were screaming into the com link, trying to get Hera to respond and wondering where the other two were. Chopper was doing his best to shake the pilot awake but to now avail. The droid looked out the window, seeing the ship as it was about to make a crash landing into a clearing. The droid warned the others to brace themselves and then there was loud slam that echoed throughout the jungle.

Kanan didn't hear any of it, or felt any of it. The crash of the ship was as if it happened halfway across the galaxy for him. He didn't know. All that he knew was that he was standing in the middle of the dark abyss again. Remembering the last thing he saw before coming here, Kanan called out, "Ezra!" he pulled out his lightsaber and turned it on so that he could easily see in the dark, but when he felt the unfamiliar grip again, he looked down and saw his master's lightsaber in his hands. That's when he woke up lying face up in the cargo bay with Chopper, Sabine, and Zeb standing over him. Hera was leaning next to him, tapping him on his cheek to get him to wake up. Hera had a worried look on her face as she said in a desperate tone, "Kanan, Kanan you hear me?"

Seeing the look on her face and hearing how worried she was, Kanan gave a smirk and said, "I'm hearing just fine."

Hera rolled her eyes but kept a smirk on her face. She made one last tap on his cheek harder this time to let him know to stop playing around. As he got up on his feet, he looked around at the condition of the room. It wasn't so bad from inside. Claw marks were marked all around the entrance of the bay. The ramp was still open from earlier. He could tell by the way the floor of the ship was angled in relation to the ground outside, the Ghost had crashed nose first and then rested on the left. "And somehow we're miraculously alive," Kanan stated.

"You say that now," Sabine began.

But Hera was the first to address an important issue, "Where's Ezra?"

Again, remembering what happened, he looked around and said, "It didn't work. The creatures repelled his connection and started to attack. I was knocked out and Ezra… I don't know. He might have been knocked out too and is somewhere—"

"Not in the ship," Zeb said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "We looked."

Then everyone looked outside the open ramp to the clearing they had landed in. "Maybe he fell out while we crashed," Kanan suggested. Kanan began to walk out, hand over his blaster. Everyone did the same, grabbing their weapons in hand and Sabine putting on her helmet in case they met with something unpleasant outside. Fortunately, the clearing was free of danger. It was just tall grass until a few feet away where the jungle began and surrounded them. As the crew stepped out of the ship and into the small plain, Kanan called out, "Ezra!" everyone waited but no response.

Kanan called the boy's name twice until Hera got a better idea, "Chopper, can you get a location on Ezra?"

Chopper antenna on top lifted up an inch and began to circle around trying to get a signal. Almost immediately, Chopper responded. Hera grumbled and said, "It's probably the signal in this place. We won't find Ezra using his com."

Zeb looked at Chopper, "Or maybe the bucket of bolts isn't trying hard enough."

Chopper became defensive and waved his arms around angrily. Before he could say anything, something big and fast snatched the droid off the ground and into the air. "Chopper!" Sabine and Hera yelled simultaneously as the blue creature dragged him off. Kanan turned his head and looked at the other blue creatures flying in. "Heads up!" Seeing one heading straight for Hera, Kanan grabbed her hand and together they hit the deck. Even though the creature missed them by inches, it continued forward towards Zeb. The Lasat shot with his bo-rifle but one miss and he was already being lifted into the sky by the arm. "Zeb!" Sabine yelled, getting her dual blaster out and firing at the creature taking Zeb farther and farther away. "Sabine behind you!" Kanan yelled, but by the time she turned around a set of talons wrapped her around her torso and lifted her off the ground.

Hera and Kanan both got up on their feet to watch as their crew was being whisked away, "No, no, please no…." Hera begged silently.

"Let's follow them on the Ghost and—" But as soon as he said that a blue creature ran out of the bushes and charged towards them. Kanan and Hera tried to run, keeping a hand back to hold their blaster's aim towards the creature. When it got too close, Kanan reached for his lightsaber. The creature was quicker and jumped over him, reaching a hind talon down and grabbing him by the arm. Hera reached out and grabbed Kanan's other arm, as if hoping somehow pulling him down would keep the creature from taking him. But the creature was bigger and stronger and soon, she was hanging on to Kanan's free arm with both hands as they glided over the canopy of the jungle. Feeling her slip, Kanan tried to keep a stronger grip on her arms. "Hang on, hang on…" He tried to tell her as flew. They suddenly heard Zeb, "Hera! Kanan!" The two looked and saw the creature that took Zeb as it held the Lasat upside down by one leg. Hera and Kanan looked back upon hearing Chopper call out. He was in the talons of one creature while Sabine's arms were locked in a tight grip by another. The creatures flew level so the crew could see each other.

The little distraction made Hera suddenly slip down and with his quick reflexes Kanan grabbed her. They were holding on to each other now by only fingers but Hera was still slipping, "No-!" Kanan yelled, feeling her fingers get sore in his hands and she suddenly lost hold.

"Hera!" Everyone yelled as the watched the Twi'lek fall to the ground bellow. She yelled in fear as she saw the canopy come close and braced herself for impact, but it never came. Something big came and grabbed her around the waist pulling her up in the air and towards the group. Everyone saw as the giant yellow creature took the lead of the group as it held Hera in his talons. "Hera! Are you ok?" Sabine asked.

"F-fine," Hera replied, a bit shaken as she wiped a hand over her forehead to remove sweat from her brow. She liked flying but that wasn't the kind of flying she was into. Kanan looked at the yellow creature and caught a glimpse of something on it's back. There was a figure, dressed in brown and backed turned to them. Kanan realized this was the brown blur he saw earlier. This person was riding the creature. He looked at the others. All of them were blue except for the one holding Hera. That big one was the leader. It all made sense. The person had control of the leader, un turn commanding the others to capture them. Now Kanan had some questions, "HEY!" he yelled. The figure's head turned slightly his way, "Where are you taking us!"

The figure raised a hand, revealing a large staff with the crook widening towards the end in the shape of claw. There were three holes carved in and when the figure spun it skillfully over their head, a whistling sound came out. The yellow creature gave a screech and began to descend towards the jungle. The others followed suite. "Kanan!" Zeb yelled, "I think you just made them mad." The creatures found a small space within the jungle canopy and flew through it. As they found a small clearing coming up close, the creatures let go of their captives. Everyone gave a yell and grunt as they felt themselves fall and then hit the ground in a roll. Kanan looked around, recognizing where the were. The deep depths of a jungle, a spot of light from the space above giving view to a small space of grass. His visions were slowly coming true.

Hera was the first on her feet, going to whoever needed help. She ran to Sabine who struggled to get up on wobbly feet. Zeb, who landed next to Kanan, helped the man up. "You ok, boss?"

"Sure." Was all Kanan could say, slightly pained at the landing he took. Making sure Sabine and Chopper were ok, Hera then looked at Zeb and Kanan. She gave a relieved sigh seeing them all right. A screech above suddenly got everyone on their toes again. The crew got close to one another, back to back, as they held out their weapons while four blue creatures landed on the ground and swarmed them. Kanan and the others looked around for a space to run but the creatures surrounded them in all angles. They even kept their wings extended and touching each other to make sure there was nowhere for the crew to go. A large cry from above was heard and the crew watched just as the large yellow creature flew through the space of the canopy and descended towards the other side of the clearing. Two creatures surrounding them parted ways to make room for the crew to see. The creature landed gently on the ground and then folded its wings to the side.

"What now?" Zeb whispered to Kanan.

"Why are you asking me?" Kanan whispered back.

"You're the one who had the vision."

"Well I didn't have time to think what it means. For all I know it was probably warning me not to go near them—"

"Would you two stop arguing?" Hera hissed, getting the men to stop.

The large yellow creature took two giant steps forwards and stopped. Then it craned its neck down so that it's head lay on the grass. Just at the base of the neck and on it's back was the figure.

* * *

 **.**

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 **A.N: Ok that was fun to write. I'm still learning how to write good with battle scenes by ships, getting the lingo down and all. How did I do? Anyway, I tried not to make a repeat of the whole purgil thing, so I made them crash, lol. Things will be ok, we just have to find out who the mysterious figure is, and where Ezra went. Whoops. Find out next I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**

 **Fun Facts:**

 **1) Kidnapping scene and figure's staff inspired by HTTYD 2.**

 **2) I don't mean to treat Hera like this, I just want to see how my friend who is a mega fan of Hera reacts (Hey Haya! How's it going! XD)**


	5. Ch 4: Reunion

**A.N: Oh man, I can' take waiting for season 3 much longer. Anyhoo, so to understand what the creatures in the story look like, I have a picture I drew of them on my Devientart (the instructions and link to get there is on my profile here)**

 **Starlight: It's gonna be good….. Oh Demira did take Ezra somewhere… I can't say**

 **Retrokill: The suspense begins.**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Reunion**

* * *

Chopper, Sabine, Zeb, Hera, and Kanan went on full alert when they saw the figure. The stranger wore a long brown robe with the hood up, leather fit boots, and wooden mask covering their whole face. The only part of the figure the group could tell was it was a was women because of her visible, slender hands.

As she jumped off the creature and landed in a crouch just next to it, the crew got better detail of her. Her mask had eye holes carved in an arc at the top, revealing dark brown eyes. There were three yellow feathers sticking up on at the forehead, one up and two sprouting from its sides. The bottom of the mask was painted white with jagged lines like teeth. Where the nose would be was a symbol painted green.

"So much for and uninhabited planet," Sabine said, reaching a hand to where her blasters were.

Kanan held up a hand and said, "Wait. This could be Marmee."

Hearing this, the stranger began to walk forward, holding out the staff in hand. The yellow creature followed behind as the women came around, then joined the other blue creatures by spreading its wings and blocking the gap. This left the crew in the middle alone with the stranger. The women began to say in a low voice, "Where did you hear that name?"

"I can't say unless it's you," Kanan said. Just because she looked like the only one who lived here didn't mean she was the one they were looking for. The women didn't seem to trust them right away either. She came around the group, starting with Hera and Sabine on the right and then to Zeb in the back. She even looked at Chopper. With each one of them, the stranger eyed them head to toe and took in every detail. Satisfied, she then went to Kanan and said, "I am Marmee. And you are?"

"A friend of Sarsley."

"That much is obvious, but not what I meant. Who are you?" she asked. Hearing her voice made Kanan shuffle his feet nervously. He knew she was masking her real voice by sounding gruffer with the help of the mask, but there was still something familiar about it that he couldn't quite catch. When he looked at her brown eyes again, he felt the same way with her voice; familiar but unrecognizable.

He looked at her robe, clean but with stitches here and there to keep the old thing together. The material was obviously familiar to Kanan as it was the same cloth made for Jedi robes. He felt like it was a coincidence but in the back of his mind, he knew it wasn't. Sarsley said this person had a connection to him. Maybe he knew her ten years ago. "Kanan Jarrus. Sarsley said that we should come here looking for you."

There was chuckle from behind the mask and Marmee said, "Well, a little late but I guess with the Empire being all…." The women faltered and Kanan noticed her eyes narrow so that she focused on something on Kanan's face. Suddenly, Marmee let her staff fly towards Kanan's belt, the hook end latching on as she pulled him face to face with her. Thinking she was going to hurt him, Zeb and Sabine pulled out their blasters and aimed it at the women. Hera held on to Kanan's arm with one hand and held out her blaster with the other.

Kanan was surprised Marmee wasn't phased by their defense, and even more surprised he didn't sense her coming at him like this. He had a hand over his blaster, but he didn't pull it out. Instead, Kanan kept his gaze locked on Marmee's, aqua blue meeting dark brown, and for a second Kanan saw her… his master standing in front of him. The vision came with the Force around the two growing. Kanan gasped. The only way for that to happen was if she was Force sensitive. The robe suddenly made sense. She had to have been a Jedi in the temple when he was a youngling. But that wasn't all. The Force Signature was so familiar, it made his heart ache. It was a bond he hadn't felt in over fifteen years. But this couldn't be who he thought she was. There was no possible way.

The woman felt something in the connection, too, making her step back and release her hold on Kanan. The sudden movement made him trip back but Hera was there, holding him up by the arm, to keep him on his feet. As Marmee and Kanan stared at each other wide-eyed, Hera tried to shake Kanan out of his shock by saying pleadingly, "Kanan, Kanan, are you ok? What happened?" Sabine came around and snapped her fingers in front of him. Kanan blinked out of his daze and stood up straight, looking around at the others with confused looks for a moment. Hera asked worried, "What's wrong?"

"I—I—She—"

"You…" the woman gasped stepping back, her gruff voice leaving her and exposing her true one. A gentle but collective tone. "It can't be…" She leaned on her staff as if she needed it for support to keep her from falling over. The blue creatures shook their heads in discomfort, taking a few steps back away from the group. Kanan figured she had been controlling the creatures through the Force, and with the sudden bond they were disoriented. The large yellow one craned their neck towards Marmee, making a small gurgling sound in its throat. The women did not seem to see this for she was focused on Kanan.

Zeb became irritated, his hands squeezing his bo-rifle tight in hand as he growled, "All right someone better explain what's going on or I'm gonna—" the sudden quick motion of Marmee's hand raising up and commanding the pieces of Kanan's lightsaber to her made everyone jump back and Zeb yell, "Karabast!"

The pieces of the lightsaber hovered over Marmee's hand as she stabbed her staff into the ground with the other. "She's a Jedi too?" Sabine gasped.

When the stranger held both pieces in both hands, her eyes took in every detail. Her eyes became glassy and her voice trembled as she said, "This was…. This is… I haven't seen this lightsaber since…." As if knowing what to do, she put the pieces together, secured them with a quick twist of the wrist and pressed the button to activate the lightsaber. The glowing sword shined blue in front of her, for a moment making her eyes shine with it until she closed them. Then she deactivated the lightsaber and held it tight in her hand as if she didn't want to let go. Then she looked at Kanan and said trying to hold back a sob, "I didn't think I'd ever get to see you again…. Caleb Dume…."

Zeb and Sabine looked at Kanan, confused as to what Marmee meant. Zeb even repeated her, "Caleb Dume?" Hera, knowing what this meant looked at Marmee frightened and then at Kanan to see his reaction.

Kanan went just absolutely still, the name sparking so many memories. His time at the Jedi temple as a youngling, training as a Padawan, the death of his master. It took all of Kanan's strength to not let the Force inside him just burst with his growing emotions. Fear, anger, loose, regret, guilt…. Hope. "Who—who are you…" He managed to say as if he were out of breath. He couldn't afford to believe it… but maybe… just maybe…

The masked stranger tossed Kanan's lightsaber back to him, and as he latched it back on his belt she reached her hands up to her mask. Slowly, she pulled it off her face, making the hood fall and hang on her back. She revealed a womanly face of around forty, her brown hair tied up in two braids that looped from the front to the back. She had two yellow beads embedded on her face, one on the bridge of her nose between the eyes and the other on her forehead. The Crew had never seen that face before, but Kanan had because it was her… his master… Depa Billaba.

Kanan didn't look away, but he shook his head slowly, side to side. It's not that he didn't want to believe what he was seeing, but that he couldn't believe it. If it was a dream, another vision he was experiencing…. If he believed it was real and woke up to nothing, it would only hurt him and make him feel more guilt. But Kanan sensed the world around him, and he was awake. Zeb, Sabine, Chopper, and Hera were here and seeing this too. The vision he had earlier of the forest brought him here for a reason, to her. The creatures, who's eyes changed from its own to that of a someone he knew, now the creature stood there and the eyes of the person belonged to his master right next to it. The Force brought him here to Depa Billaba. He wasn't in a dream, it was not a trick of a vision, or the light of the forest playing with him. Kanan was really, truly seeing his master alive. Depa Billaba was right there in front of Kanan. "Master…" He whispered.

Putting two and two together, everyone dropped the aim of the blasters they had been holding up a long time and looked between Kanan and Depa. What was going on was an unexpected reunion. The women handed her mask to the large yellow creature, letting it take it in its mouth to hold. Then Depa looked at Kanan… or as she knew him, Caleb Dume, her lost Padawan. He was here with her, alive and well. Caleb had grown into a strong man. With the blaster at his side she could tell he was still a fighter, and with his lightsaber, he still held on to the Jedi way. Depa could not be any more happier and proud. But seeing his reaction to her, Depa could only guess what was going through Caleb's mind. Confusion, and probably betrayal. Here she was alive and he most likely thought she had been killed. She had to explain that she never meant to hurt Caleb and make him feel like this.

As Depa tried to hold back the surprise sob that had threatened to come up earlier, she began, "I know what you're going to say, Caleb. How could I have done this, stayed alive all these years and why didn't I come back to you, to find you." Hearing her voice, seeing her talk to him, it only confirmed to Kanan more and more that she was really here…. But deep down he just wanted to make sure. He began to walk towards her, slowly. All Depa did was continue, "What sign did I have that you were alive… that… that anyone had survived the execution." Seeing Kanan's confused gaze only made it harder for her to explain. She was seeing the face of the Padawan she had trained years ago, always questioning, always wondering. She just wanted to just stop and embrace him, for he was here, alive and grown up. But she feared the reaction she would get, especially when she tells him the truth. "I d-did find out you were alive sometime later. And after c—coming here I did have the chance to l-leave and find you but I thought you w-would be better off without me. I saw the poster and y-you were just… so much stronger than I was… to live in the world unlike the one we grew in. I couldn't I just…" When Kanan was just a few feet in front of her, and not giving her a single response, Depa got scared and a bit agitated. "Oh please don't be so stoic, Caleb. Go ahead, shout, scream, say something, I—"

Suddenly, Kanan had his hands on her shoulders and they just lingered there for a few moments. All Depa could to was watch him, his eyes, blank confusion evident. Then he looked down at her from head to toe and after he hung his head and closed his eyes tight. Depa could feel so much emotion radiating off him, but there was one that stood out the most, longing and guilt. Kanan slowly picked his head up and opened his eyes, tears beginning to form on his eyelids. Kanan saw her, felt her, heard her. Depa Billaba was here. "I thought I lost you..." he said with a croak as he put his arms around her shoulders. Depa was frozen, feeling as Kanan kept her in a tight embrace as he let his tears fall down from the eyes, down his cheek, and into Depa's hood.

The woman could feel him shake slightly with his short sobs. Soon, she too was crying and hugging him back, her arms around his waist and her chin resting on his left shoulder being how tall he was then her now. First, her crying came out as short sobs like his with a few tears, but then she realized the hug he gave wasn't only because she was alive, but that he hadn't gotten angry at her. He wasn't mad she never went looking, he was just happy she was here. Depa couldn't hold it all back anymore and like a waterfall her emotions spilled out. More tears fell from her eyes as she began to sob harder, her shoulders shaking violently with every hitched breath she took. Her grip around him got tighter and she prayed they never let go. Kanan did so, too.

The others had just watched from afar, the whole scene too moving for them to do anything but feel happy for Kanan's reunion with his master. Hera, having heard much about Depa Billaba from Kanan's stories, and how much he had adored the Jedi Master, Hera couldn't help but feel proud. It made the Twi'lek shed a tear or two. Sabine had to pull off her helmet to wipe her own tears away too. Hera and her at one another. Then they heard a sniffle come from Zeb and looked to see the big Lasat shed a tear and quickly try to wipe it away seeing the girls look at him. "What? Grown men can't cry too?" Sabine just patted the big guy in the arm, letting him know he had a point.

Chopper, though happy for Kanan's reunion, was still a bit bored that he had to stand by and watch. The droid gave a mechanical like sigh and said something very loudly in a series of wur-wur sounds. Depa and Kanan pulled their heads back and looked at the droid, Kanan slightly annoyed and Depa more or less curious. Hera and Sabine, being able to understand, looked at the droid with a scowl. Hera event went as far as to bang Chopper lightly on the top and say in a harsh whisper, "Shush! I know it takes long, deal with it!"

Kanan pulled away from the embrace, now remembering he and Depa weren't alone. As they wiped their tears away and tried to breathe normally again, Kanan finally had to ask the obvious question to Depa, "Are you ok? How, how are you… here? Alive?"

"I-I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile. Then it faded and was replaced with a frown. "I was lucky I guess, but it will take a long time for me to explain that and much more." Realizing she had to look up at him instead of down, she finally addressed something on her mind since they hugged. "My, you've grown tall."

Kanan couldn't help laugh a little at that, and then motion Depa to follow him to the others. They stopped just in front of them. Kanan said, almost talking in disbelief, "Guys, this is… my master, Depa Billaba." This was actually happening, his friends were meeting Depa.

Depa bowed her head in greetings. Then she said, "And these are your friends. It's good to know Caleb hasn't been alone all these years."

Zeb slammed a hand lightly onto Kanan's back and said, "Yeah, we sure have been keeping an eye on… Caleb…." Zeb said the last part with a smirk. Kanan winced, knowing he had some explaining to do.

Sabine added, "So, Caleb, when were you going to tell us—"

"Stop it you two," Hera warned, but a smile grew on her face.

"You knew didn't you?" Sabine said. Hera just kept her smile. "Of course you did."

"Knew what?" Depa asked.

"I uh…" Kanan began, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I changed my name to Kanan Jarrus, to hide from the Empire."

"Oh, oh and you didn't tell—I'm sorry I didn't know."

"It's fine… it's too late now anyway." He tried to ignore the knowing glances of Zeb and Sabine.

Depa looked at Kanan, his eyes shifting around. She knew that if it was just to hide from the Empire, he could have told his friends his real name anyway. But since he hadn't told all of them, there must be a reason. Depa knew it wasn't the time to pry so she assured him, "Well then, Kanan, I'll remember from now on." Then she looked at the others, "And how should I call you."

"You can call me Zeb." "I'm Sabine." "Hera."

"It's good to meet you—Oh—" she became surprised when Chopper rolled forward and said something. Depa said, "Oh sorry… Chopper, you say? Well all right then."

"We're still one member short," Sabine stated. The crew looked around as if hoping in mentioning Ezra he would appear from somewhere. But their view was still blocked by the creatures who were still there and the crew gave a weary eye towards them. Seeing their reactions Depa held up a hand and said, "Oh, I'm sorry about bringing you here like this." Depa waved a hand up towards the creatures. The blue ones felt the Force connection leave them and they took off into the air in random directions. The only one left was the large yellow one, who came and handed her the mask. She explained, "It's necessary precaution is all—wait, you said there is someone missing?"

"Yes," Kanan answered, "Ezra," then he said the last part more shyly, "My Padawan."

Depa gasped, "You—your Padawan. You took an apprentice…" Depa put a hand over her mouth in shock, but smiled with pride. Her Padawan had a Padawan of his own. There was someone else learning the ways of the Force, because of Kanan. "That's wonderful…" Kanan felt a swell of pride at his master's reaction. Thinking about padawans, Depa suddenly remembered something, or someone, "Oh no."

"What?" Kanan asked

"I might have an idea where he is, or more accurately, with who."

"Who?" the crew asked.

"My….Padawan…"

* * *

Ezra ran through the brush of the dense forest, trying to stay on his feet as he almost tripped on hidden rocks and fallen logs as he ran. There were so many trees in the way, he had to dodge around but in doing so loosing track if he was going straight or making turns. He had some leverage though because with his helmet on the tree branches that hung low or vines that grew long down didn't hit him in the face. No matter what, though, he couldn't stop running. He could tell, just by the sound of large feet charging down behind him that the creature that had kidnapped him was still coming after him.

After he had been taken from the ship, the creature had flown down low enough to the ground so that when Ezra used his blaster to electrocute it the creature dropped him and the boy had somewhat of a soft landing. Now Ezra was running through the forest as the creature, supposedly trying to get back at him for the shot, hunted him down. Ezra was getting tired after about ten minutes of pure running. He spotted a tree ahead with a huge, wide trunk. Getting an idea, he ran to it and quickly dodged left to hide behind it. The creature, moments later, ran past him. Ezra thought he was successful, for a moment, then the creature stopped a few tree lines ahead. It froze with only its head looking back and forth at the bush in front of him. Ezra prayed it wouldn't decide to look back. Then, when it didn't spot Ezra, the creature continued to run forward and disappeared into the jungle

Ezra let out a breath he realized he hadn't been holding. "Phew…" He leaned back against the tree and latched his blaster back on his hip. He looked around the jungle, seeing nothing but dense forest surrounding him. Creatures in the distance gave their cries, making it echo all around him. But that was all he heard. No sound of a ship. It was all he saw, no sign of Zeb, Sabine, Chopper, Hera, or Kanan. He was alone. Ezra slightly panicked but he forced himself to keep it together. He was rational he could figure out how to help himself. First things first, access the situation. Either the crew got away from the creatures and they were searching for him by air, or the creatures had succeeded in taking the ship down and the crew was searching him by ground…. Or they didn't survive the crash.

Ezra shook that last thought off. They had to be ok. They've survived worse before, they were most likely on the ground or in the air searching. Ezra tried to extend his sense out to try and find Kanan, but his master was probably too far to be reached. And not only that, there was a strong sense of the Force around him, as if it was strong within the trees. Suddenly, there was a disturbance. Something was coming around the treeline behind him. Thinking it was the crew, Ezra opened his mouth to call out but stopped before words could be said. It could also be the creature. Sensing for sure it wasn't Kanan and the others, Ezra went back to back against the tree again and held up his blaster ready to fire. Maybe he could actually catch this thing by the face and electrocute it enough to knock it out. Especially since connecting with it didn't work. Ezra gave a small sigh, trying to ignore his failure and focus back on the present. Ezra eyed the spot by the right of the tree, seeing a good space of grass to step into and get a clear shot. Ezra waited, for the right moment, then a shadow appeared by the root of the tree. He jumped out and held his blaster out in front of him.

He never fired, because standing in front of him wasn't the creature but a girl.

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 **A.N: Yes, I couldn't let you guys wait any longer for that reunion. That scene was probably a lot to take in, so I'll let you guys recap it yourself ahah. As for the last bit, poor Ezra's been through a lot, good thing he'll have some help… or just more trouble. We'll see which one, next, and don'tforget to check out my drawings. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**

 **Fun facts:**

 **1) The speech Depa made to Kanan before they hugged each other, based of Valka's and Stoic's reunion in HTTYD 2.**


	6. Ch 5: The Padawans

**A.N: So I've got a picture of Demira, Depa's Padawan, on my Deviantart so you can see what she looks like then and now. I don't want to be the person to bombard with fanart, it's just the first couple of chapters where I introduced new concepts. Also when writing, I thought of Pocahontas, and the soundtrack to when she and John Smith meet is a good to listen to.**

 **Teenylambofgod: Since thinking of a reunion, I've had this scene in my mind eating at me and had to do it, for the fandom, for both fandoms.**

 **Retrokill: Like I said, I like to make a nod to good films.**

 **Starlight: Demira might not go easy, but she'll figure it out eventually. She definitely doesn't want space family on her hide, and yes, even murderbot is a danger.**

 **DeviLSPR: Poor blueberry has had enough for one day.**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 5: The Padawans**

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Ezra's eyes widened at what he saw. It was a female figure, crouched on all fours just a few feet away holding a spear in hand and pointing it in his direction. She looked to be no older than sixteen, but Ezra could barely tell with the light brown cape of fur that hung behind her and the carved mask that covered her face from the nose up. Seeing she had on only a wrap of faded orange cloth around her breast and then her torso and waist made Ezra's cheeks flushed. Ezra focused back on her face. The mask she wore had teeth carved on the bottom and painted white. Green and blue feather stuck out from each side. Eye holes were cut out so that Ezra could see dark brown eyes staring at him. They were filled with curiosity as well as caution.

Finally after a long silence, Ezra said, "Sorry, I thought you were that creature." Ezra put down down his hand, aiming his blaster away from the girl. They girl made no response but continued to stare at Ezra. "Um… so… how is someone like you here? Isn't this part of Wild Space supposed to be…. Uninhabited?" Again no response from the girl. He then remembered what Coryn had said about Sarsley's friend. "Are you Marmee?" Silence. Well, judging by her possible age, she couldn't be Sarsley's friend. Or maybe the girl couldn't understand him. "Hello? Can you understand me?"

He took one step forward, and it made her take a few steps back on all fours. Ezra held a hand out, "No, no wait, don't run. I'm not gonna hurt you." The girl looked between Ezra and at the forest behind her. "Please don't run." Thinking he was probably not getting through to her because his helmet was muffling his voice, Ezra clicked the switch on the side to pull down the mask. Revealing to the girl his face immediately got her to freeze in place. Her eyes grew almost as wide as saucers, her brown eyes staring at Ezra's dark blue ones. She even took a few steps closer on all fours to get a closer look. Ezra figured out she was scared before because of the mask. "Yeah, that's it…." Ezra reached up and pulled his helmet off all the way. "See, just a normal person."

The girl saw him do this, slowly getting up on two feet but keeping her shoulders hunched. She reached a hand up and pulled off her mask to reveal her face. Ezra managed to get a better look now, her face slender to show maturity but her dark eyes giving away a more innocent look. Her hair was a light brown, and a small strand of hair on the right side was braided with two blue feathers woven in. The girl didn't do anything though but cock her head to the side, waiting to see what Ezra would do. He said, "Ok, yeah, you are a person, too." She said nothing again. "Maybe you still can't understand me." He noticed her shuffle her feet around so that she fully faced him and the cape no longer covering her all the way. This made Ezra look at her from head to toe, again face flushing slightly. Then his eyes landed on something. There was a makeshift sash of leather that hung around her waist like a belt. Hanging from it was a small silver cylinder, with a handle and output, in a familiar shape. "Hey, that looks like a lightsaber?"

He didn't have to point at what he was talking about, which made it all the more shocking to Ezra when the girl's eyes widened and she put a hand quickly over the weapon on her belt. "Hold on a second, it is a lightsaber—" Ezra didn't get to finish when the girl quickly put on her mask and made a break for the woods. "Wait!" Ezra called out as he began to chase after her. As he ran, Ezra put on his helmet, keeping the mask off, and latched his lightsaber to his holster. He noticed how every once in a while, the girl would get on all fours and just somehow run. When she got back on two feet she would jump high, grab the lowest branch of the nearest tree and swing herself farther away to create distance between her and Ezra. The boy did his best to keep up, but the girl's use of the environment and the extended abilities of her body made it hard for Ezra to just keep an eye on in the dense grove.

The girl managed to clear a fallen tree trunk in the path, but when Ezra was about jump over, he didn't see the stump of rock hidden under a bush of heavy leaves. When he tripped he fell and went face first into the trunk of the fallen tree with a loud thump. "Ow…." Ezra moaned. He reached a hand up so that his arm could go around the trunk and he could pull himself up. Ezra sat up and then tried to get on his feet, but the world spinning in front of him forced him to sit down on the trunk for a while. When his vision focused, he swung his feet over the trunk and then stood up on the other side to look around. The girl was nowhere in sight. "Karabast," the boy cursed. "Good thing Kanan didn't see that or I'd be—" he was cut off when the Force told him to look right. But whatever it was he was warned about, it was too fast for him to prepare for and it tackled him to the ground. He and the attacker tumbled on the floor and when they came to a stop, Ezra found himself pinned back to the ground.

He looked up, seeing the girl crouched over him. One of her legs was bent and leaning on both his legs and her staff kept his arms pinned over his head. Ezra couldn't move. All he could do was stare at the masked girl. Ezra said, "Um, normally I wouldn't complain when a girl is on top of me but—" He was cut off when the girl's lips curled as she growled, similar to the creature that had kidnapped him earlier. Ezra tried to fix what he said, "Ok, bad comment, I know, I know." Looking into her eyes, Ezra could see she was resilient but a connection in the Force told him that she was afraid. And it wasn't just the Force around her, it was in her. She was Force Sensitive, which explained how she had the lightsaber. She was definitely not a wielder of the dark side of the Force, so he could trust her. And she could trust him, and help him. "Calm down… it's ok," He said, trying to concentrate. He tried to spread an air of serenity to calm the girl down, and it worked for a few moments.

But the act itself scared her again and she rejected it, reaching her free hand out to grip his helmet. She pressed the side of his face into the ground and growled, "Ash t'ska dharma…."

"What?"

"Force Sensitive… Who…. Are you…." She said with an accent.

He figured she understood basic, but her speaking still sort of surprised him. "I'm…. a friend," he tried to say. Her eyes narrowed as if she didn't want to believe it. Ezra became desperate, "Trust me….. please…. I'm lost…." Then her eyes widened, hearing how he said the last bit almost hurt. And he was. Ezra didn't know where the crew was, and he didn't know where he was. Ezra then felt a tug in the Force, but it wasn't forceful. The girl was trying to sense if he was being honest. When the girl felt it, the need for help, she released Ezra. She jumped to the side and crouched, but kept her spear up and pointed at Ezra as he sat up. He held his arms up to give a sign of surrender, then grabbed his helmet and pulled it off. Once he set it on a patch of grass next to him, Ezra sat kneeled on the ground. He watched intently as the girl sat cross-legged and pulled up her mask to rest on her forehead, showing her whole face again. He noticed that her hand was still on her spear, aimed at him. "I said you can trust me. You can feel it, I know you can."

"Yes, Force Sensitive…."

"Yeah, yeah, you and I both are Jedi." She didn't do anything. "Look, what else do I have to do to make you trust me."

She eyed him all over until her eyes landed on his weapon. "Jedi don't use blasters. Remove it."

Ezra looked down at his blaster and smiled. "Actually, it's not just a blaster." She cocked her head to the side in confusion. "I'll show you…. Just…. don't impale me." The girl hesitated and set her spear down, but kept a hand over it. He shrugged and reached down to grab his blaster. He held it out, the handle horizontal to him. Ezra pressed the small button and let the lightsaber activate. The girl jumped back with a yelp and crouched a few feet away, reaching her hand to her lightsaber but not grabbing it. Seeing it was just a lightsaber and Ezra wasn't going to use it on her, the girl crawled back to Ezra on all fours and looked at his lightsaber in wonder. "Wow…" she gasped. "It's…. blue…"

"Yeah," Ezra said as if it were obvious. Then he figured the girl had never seen a blue lightsaber before. As he deactivated his lightsaber, he asked, "What's yours?" The girl smiled and in excitement pulled her lightsaber out. On closer inspection, Ezra could see, much like his, it was made out of parts not meant for lightsabers. Whereas he got parts from spares the crew found for him, this girl got hers made out of ship parts. There was a part of it, the hilt, that was made out of shaved wood, something he'd never think to see in a lightsaber. When she activated it, there was high pitched hiss sound. The saber glowed bright green. "That's cool." He said, amazed.

She looked at him curiously, as if what he said confused her. As she deactivated her lightsaber, she asked him, "Cool? Is that how you say something is appealing?"

"Um, yeah?" he responded like it was obvious. "You don't get out much, do you?"

"Get out? I go out all the time." She motioned to the forest around her. "I come here many times, especially to train with my master."

"Right, not what I meant but—wait—did you say Master? You have a Jedi Master?"

She giggled and said, "Of course. How else will I know how to use the Force without becoming a Padawan learner to someone? See?" she pointed to her braided embroidered with feathers, "Padawan braid." Ezra nodded, remembering how Kanan once told him Padawans did that to show their level of skill. Kanan said he had one once, before he had to go into hiding from the Empire. But Ezra wasn't focused on that. He wanted to ask about her Master. Did they receive the rank of Jedi Master, or did their apprenticeship end too quickly like Kanan's had? Did they even know Kanan? Before Ezra could ask, the girl asked herself, "Are you a Padawan, too?"

"Yeah."

"Where is your braid?"

"Um… I don't have one." Ezra never thought of doing one.

"You should." She said. "Being a Padawan is an honor."

Hearing the girl say this, and seeing her smile in pride of her status, Ezra was considering a braid now. After all, it would be nice to show Kanan in some way or another he was indebted to him and his willingness to teach Ezra. Thinking of Kanan, in addition to the rest of the crew, he suddenly became worried. Where were they? Were they ok?

Seeing the frown appear on Ezra's face, the girl's eyebrows scrunched up in worry and she asked, "What is wrong? You don't like being a Padawan?"

"What? No, no of course I do… I just… my friends… they're out there somewhere and I'm here lost because of that creature."

"What crea—ooh." She stopped, and then gave a sheepish smile. "My fault."

"Your fault? No it wasn't."

"It was… I had Sar Sar grab you because you were shooting at her."

"Who's Sar Sar?"

Suddenly, something big landed with a giant thump behind him and Ezra yelped. He turned around and scooted back to see a winged creature, the same one with the scar on its belly, standing over him. Thinking it would attack, Ezra got up to try and leave, but the girl held up her hands in front of him to say, "No, no worries. Sar Sar is more friendly than she looks."

"This… this is Sar Sar?" He asked, turning around to face the creature.

"Yes. She is my Kurujiri"

"Kura what?"

"Kuri for short." The girl explained as she walked around Ezra.

"Oh, and she's yours. Like a pet."

The girl stabbed her spear into the ground and reached her arms out to wrap them around the Kuri's neck. "A companion," She answered simply. Sar Sar nuzzled her snout closer to the girl's face.

Ezra had to ask, "Do you connect with her through the Force."

"When I was young, I did, many a times. But I found I didn't need to all the time. She just does what I need because she loves me. I only command during battle training. Today was the first day I got to test it out not during a practice session. Unfortunately, my master and I mistook it as a raid. I see you and your friends mean no harm. Again, I'm sorry I separated you from them."

"Like I said, it's not your fault. We all make mistakes." Ezra assured her.

The girl nodded, showing her gratitude. Then suddenly, her face lit up with a big smile. "I can make it up to you—"

"No, no you don't have—"

"I can help you reunite with your friends."

Ezra got excited, "You will?"

"Of course." She then turned around, grabbing her spear and then patting Sar Sar on the side of her head. She motioned with her spear head, "Come, we will guide you through the forest."

"Thanks," Ezra said, going up to the girl and walking by her side. "I'm Ezra by the way. Ezra Bridger."

"I'm called Demira."

* * *

Depa had the crew followed her through the forest as they looked for Ezra. After about five minutes, Zeb addressed an issue. "Um, that thing's been following us since we left." He pointed to the back of the group where the giant yellow creature followed them from behind.

Depa didn't look back but she said, "Don't worry about Bele, he's my Akurujuri, Kuru for short. Unlike the others, he's my companion who follows with or without my command through the Force." Finally she did look back and say, "But Bele should be in the front tracking the Padawans." Depa held out her staff so that the claw end touched the ground. She tapped a passing log twice, the sound make Bele march passed the group and taking lead in the front. His head stroked the ground as his nostrils flared up and down and took every scent. "Though it shouldn't be too hard to find them. After all, with a galaxy so big, you managed to find Sarsley so she could tell you where I was."

"Well, it was more coincidence than chance." Kanan explained. In short, he told Depa the crew was part of a rebellion fighting against the Empire. Coryn and Sarsley happened to be new members with information they needed to look for possible rebel bases. Sarsley figured out Kanan was Depa's lost Padawan by the poster and told him to come to the planet.

Upon hearing about the rebellion, Depa said, "It's good know people are standing up to the Empire, especially you…" she smiled at Kanan, "I'm very proud." Kanan smiled back, for a second feeling like his younger self, happy to have impressed his master. He hoped it was enough to… Kanan frowned, realizing now that Depa Billaba was here…..What did she think of him now? Yes, she was proud of him now, but did she feel the same way as him; Did she think like him that this was to make up for something he couldn't do in the past? To make up for not going back and saving her? But she was alive, not dead. Did Kanan have any reason to feel guilt? Did Depa think he need to be? Kanan didn't even know what happened for her to be here alive… yet.

Depa continued, breaking Kanan from his thoughts, "And Sarsley, she saved me as a debt to the Jedi who helped her planet in the Clone Wars, but now she can help more people. I guess I owe her now, with bringing you to me. How is Agra doing by the way? Still headstrong hopefully."

"She was." Hera confirmed, "She helped us from getting caught by the Empire on our way here to 0623."

"0623?" Depa repeated confused, "Funny to name a planet a number, but then again barely anyone comes to Panama."

"Panama?" Sabine repeated

"It's the rock you are standing on. Its name was given by a Jedi who visited long ago."

"Who?" Kanan asked, hoping to know who it was.

"No one knows. The Tribe called him Trader Rack."

"The who called him what?" Kanan asked

Depa slightly chuckled, stopping in her tracks and looking at him, "Oh, the boy with all the questions, I'm glad you still do it though."

"Him, ask questions?" Sabine stated.

Zeb added, "Yeah, most of the time he's either just quiet or the guy with all the answers."

"Not all the answers," Kanan tried to say. He looked at Depa, seeing how she reacted. Kanan may still retain the teachings for when he was a young, but there were parts of himself he left behind to create a new identity for himself. What would Depa think now that she knew he let go most of who he was?

Depa didn't seem to react at all, instead, she listened to Hera when the Twi'lek said to them, "Sometimes certain people bring out certain things from others." That's when Hera looked at Kanan, giving him smirk. The way Hera looked at him, Kanan couldn't help but smile back. Depa saw this little exchange, noticing something about it. It wasn't wrong or anything, it was more interesting. Especially knowing Kanan entrusted his secrets, especially his name, to Hera, Depa knew there was something a little more than a friendship going on.

Depa nodded in agreement to what Hera said, she then went on to explain. "The who and what I speak of, it will take a day to explain, but being out here…" Depa looked up at the sky, the sun started to climb down to the mountain, "And close to the end of daylight, it's best we focus on finding the Padawans first."

"What happens when the night comes?" Sabine ask.

"Many things much worse then wild Kuru's a Kuri's."

* * *

As Demira and Ezra made their way through the forest, Demira had taken Ezra' helmet into her hands and inspected it. "I have seen helmets when I was young, but not like this." Sar Sar, who lumbered next to them, craned her neck down to look at the helmet closer.

Ezra explained, "Oh, well that's because I painted it, after going undercover in an imperial cadet training facility."

"A what?"

Seeing her confusion, Ezra figured there were some things she didn't know. After all, Demira had to ask why the word 'cool' was a compliment. "Well, you've heard of the Empire, right?"

"Yes." She said, as she curiously put on the helmet and for a quick moment kept it on before pulling it off.

"Well, I pretended to be a soldier in training to try and get information from them."

"Why?"

"Have you heard of the Rebellion?"

"No… there is one?"

"Yep, fighting against the Empire. We kind of like to make trouble."

"That is good news," She said. As she handed the helmet back to Ezra, Demira said, "My master will be happy. When my master and I met, at the time there was no one fighting back."

"When did you two meet?"

"Ten full seasons… I mean…. Ten years ago. She crash landed here and was being chased by Imperials."

"Wait, you met here on this planet… ten years ago… she crashed... and was being chased by the Empire- hold on a second- is your Master named Marmee?"

"Marmee? No, but that is a nice name."

Ezra remembered Coryn said Marmee was a cover name. But it made sense now, her secret identity being a Jedi the reason she was a fugitive to the Empire. "So, who is your Master?"

"Depa Billaba." Demira said simply.

Ezra's brow knit together as he became pensive, his pace slowing down as he fell behind the group. He had heard the name before… Ezra suddenly remembered the mission to Kaller, and even long after the mission, Kanan talked about his master. He had said, "My Master, Depa Billaba, was killed there one Kaller…"

"No fricken way…" Ezra gasped as he stopped walking altogether.

"You have the strangest phrases," Demira pointed out, and that's when Sar Sar lifted her head and gave a roar like squawk. Demira became defensive, holding out her spear and putting on her mask. She hissed, "Someone is coming." Suddenly Sar Sar charged and Ezra looked in the direction the giant creature went. A few tree lines away, Ezra spotted the crew trudging through the forest and walking past him. "Guys!" he yelled.

* * *

.

* * *

 **A.N: Well that was a fun meeting, Demira and Ezra now working together after Demira and Sar Sar almost pummeled Ezra. But hey, Demira has her own lightsaber? How even? Also, you got to love her playful curious-ity, when she's not trying to hunt someone down ahah. Looks like Kanan has some conflictions of his own, meanwhile, Depa maybe be sensing Kanera. But looks, information about the history of the planet Panama ooo…. Don't forget to chekc out my DA. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**

 **Fun Fact:**

 **1)When Ezra and Demira meet, it is heavily inspired to Pocahontas and John Smith meeting**

 **2)Panama in some languages means "Abundance of fish and trees" and being that Panama is full of life, I thought it fit perfectly**

 **3)Demira is named after the word Demir, which in Turkish means Iron and in other languages (I can't remember) means Anchor. Demira is Depa's Anchor for reasons explained later.**

 **4)Bele is taken from the word Belle which means Neatly in Latin. He's more fine compared to Sar Sar**


	7. Ch 6: First Impressions

**A.N: Hey guys! Who's in denial they can't go to Star wars Celebration this year? I AM! Anyway, I did a drawing of Kanan and Depa reuniting because why not! It's on my Deviantart**

 **Starlight: NEVER MWAHAH! Lol, I do wonder how Kerchec will react, or even more, how Depa and Kerchec act with each other.**

 **Retrokill: Thanks!**

 **DeviLSPR: Yep, and then theres more.**

 **Kita Ronin: I know! exciting!**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: First Impressions**

* * *

"I'm sensing him nearby," Kanan stated as he closed his eyes and facing the way the Force bond felt stronger between him and Ezra. Sabine, Zeb, Hera, and Chopper looked in that direction not seeing anything but thick forest. Then Kanan rubbed the side of his head saying, "But the Force so is strong here, everywhere, I can't pinpoint him."

Depa said, "Yes, there is so much life here from which the Force benefits from, you learn to distinguish certain signatures." Depa stepped forward, closed her eyes, and focused her senses through the Force. "I sense my Padawan close too—"

"Guys!" Came a familiar yell a few tree lines away.

The crew got excited, recognizing the voice, and yelled back, "Ezra!"

Suddenly, something big and blue charged through the forest and came into view. It was the blue Kuri with scars. "Oh, boy…." Sabine muttered as she and the rest of them braced for an attack. Before it made it close to the group, Bele charged in front to protect them. The blue creature gave a squawk of surprise, stepping back a few feet before communicating to Bele with grunts and growls. Bele returned it with grunts of his own before giving a loud roar, making the blue Kuri march away with their head hanging low.

Depa said, "Thank you Bele, she can be stubborn." The yellow creature only chuffed back.

Before the crew could even ask themselves what happened, Ezra jumped out from behind the brush and into the clearing. Relief was evident as he said, "Man, it's good to see you guys."

He ran to his friends and they did the same. When the crew got to him they all surrounded Ezra. Hera had her arms on his shoulders, almost shaking him as she asked worried, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you guys?"

Zeb and Sabine nodded as Hera answered, "We're fine."

He then looked at his Master, "You got hit pretty hard."

"Eh, I've had worse," Kanan assured the boy. Depa stood a few feet away, watching the crew as they worried for one another. It's not that it wasn't familiar to Depa Billaba to see such kindness, but this group in particular, Depa knew Kanan made the right decision on who to rely on.

Chopper came around, saying something in droid speak making Ezra say, "Hey, for your information, there was a lot going on. Try connecting with a creature with chaos around you—oh wait-" when Ezra remembered something, he gasped and began to say to Kanan, "You're not going to believe it but I just met this girl whose Force Sensitive, ok, and after talking a lot with her I found out her master is… Oh." Ezra's focus snapped up towards Depa, wondering who the stranger women was watching them from the side.

Seeing the attention was on her, Depa came forward and asked, "Ezra, yes?" the boy nodded, slightly confused as to who she was. "It is very good to met you," She said, joy hinted in her tone. She held out a hand and Ezra tentively shook it. To assure him she wouldn't harm him, Depa used both hands to gently shake back. That's when the Force around her radiated her peace and serenity, and Ezra relaxed. "I am Depa Billaba." She told him.

"You-you're—" Ezra stuttered, and he looked at Kanan flabbergasted. "And you know this—"

The man just shrugged and give a sheepish grin, saying, "Let's just say we got snatched too," And then he smiled at Depa. "But I'm glad we did." Kanan's tone was so lighthearted, Ezra couldn't help but smile seeing Kanan happy. Depa was also just as happy. Master and Padawan were reunited after fifteen years.

Ezra rubbed the back of his head and said, "Well, looks like I don't have to go on explaining."

"Explaining what?" Kanan asked.

"Well, I found out she was alive because Demira told me Depa was her master."

"Who?"

"The girl I was with."

Depa explained, "Demira is my Padawan, and she was with you. That explains why Sar Sar is still here." Hearing her name, the Kuri gave a chuff.

"Sar Sar?" Kanan repeated, the name sounding familiar.

Depa explained, "Demira named her after my sister, Sar Labooda." Kanan understood, knowing much of his master's history. But knowing that her new Padawan knew about Depa, Kanan had to wonder just how much Demira had learned.

Depa went close to the heavy brush where the grove of trees got thicker. "Demira, come on out! I know you're here." There was no response or no movement from the forest. "Demira, this is no time to play games."

As Depa looked around and up at the trees, Kanan and Ezra suddenly sensed a presence behind them. They looked back and saw Demira. She had her mask on and was crawling on all fours towards Chopper. She leaned her head to get a closer look…. Or smell… as Kanan could tell by the sound of her sniffing. Ezra became excited and called out, "Hey! Demira's here!"

That got everyone to turn around and look down. The girl gasped, looking up at the group and stepped back. Demira's gaze landed on Sabine, Hera, and Zeb, her eyes growing wide as she took in every detail of them. She was slightly fearful, but seeing as they hadn't attacked she was curious. But then, when Chopper realized that the girl was right behind him, he got spooked. The astromech waved his arms around, scaring Demira and making her jump back. Thinking Chopper was attacking, Demira bared her teeth and growled, like a Kuri, at Chopper's face. Taking offense, Chopper pulled out his rod and let the electricity spark through. Hera tried to step in by grabbing the droid by his crop top and pulling back, "Chopper, no!" The droid didn't listen and he tried to get closer to Demira. The girl continued to growl and step back on all fours, even once trying to swipe at Chopper with fingers curled like she had claws.

Depa ran up to the group and yelled angrily, "Demira! F'tang garu!" Before anyone could ask what that even meant, the girl darted into the trees. Depa sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Oh, Demira..."

As Hera tapped Chopper on the head and scolded him, Zeb asked, "What the heck was that?"

Ezra said, "That was nothing. You should have seen her when she attacked me. In short: there are no personal boundaries."

"I'm sorry," Depa began. "You'll have to excuse Demira. She's never left Panama. I've explained several things to her about the galaxy, but I should have known seeing it all would bring a different reaction."

"But a reaction like that?" Zeb added. Kanan agreed. When Kanan was training under Depa, he was more disciplined. He would do as Depa instructed, but not once has this girl done what Depa had told her to do.

Depa was probably used to it, because she chuckled and said, "Yes, she can be a bit wild, but that's normal on this planet." Then Depa looked up to an overhanging branch above. "Now you come down."

The crew looked up in time to see the girl climbing out from a bushel of leaves and into view, then she jumped down to the ground behind Depa and got into a crouch. The crew watched the girl's reaction, her innocence unfolding before them. Demira poked her head out from hiding and pointed at Chopper saying, "Pehem lu tsa'a?"

"That is a droid," Depa told the girl.

Seeing he was being put on the spot, Chopper made few whur whur sounds which made the girl giggle and say, "Onga, se'ta su."

Having been taught many languages, Sabine tried her best to understand the one Demira spoke, but nothing said seemed familiar, not even a root word that resembled another language she knew. Demira said something else which made Depa say, "Well, they are alive in their own way, Demira… I've told you this before—" Depa shook her head and tapped her staff on the ground, "Now Demira please…. How do we introduce ourselves to guest?"

Demira stood up on two feet and pulled off her mask. Depa put an arm around the girl's shoulders and had her walk a few steps forward. When they were in front of the group, Demira took a breath and said, "I am Demira," and then held out her hand out straight and stiff. The sudden change in attitude made Kanan see that Demira did listen to Depa once in a while.

Depa lightly chuckled and said, "She's never had to greet others like this. She's learning."

Zeb was the first, shaking Demira's hand and saying, "I'm Zeb." Demira got wide eyed when they made contact. Then she lifted his arms to look at him in detail. She giggled and said, "You're furry."

"Um…. Yeah," was all Zeb could say.

When Sabine introduced herself, Demira looked at her all over and said, "Wow, you are like a rainbow… and your hair is like the sky."

"Oh, I like her already," Sabine said, seeing how Demira had an eye for color.

When Demira saw Hera, she gasped and exclaimed, "Twi'lek!" Hera became surprised as the girl suddenly walked around her and said very quickly, "Wow, so pretty. More amazing then I imagined. Can I touch your lekku—"

"Demira," Depa scolded.

Demira winced and said, "Sorry."

Depa explained, "Twi'leks were the first species I told her about when we first met."

Demira and Hera shook hands, but seeing the girl's eyes shift to her lekku, Hera leaned her head to the side to let Demira know she could touch. The girl got excited, stroking Hera's lekku for a second then gasping and smiling. Hera laughed and said, "She's so cute."

"Cute…" Depa agreed, "Though being eighteen the word Demira should be striving for is restraint." Hearing Depa say that, Demira smiled coyly at the women and stuck her tongue out playfully, Depa returned it with a smirk of her own and head held high. Kanan frowned. That was unexpected. Not just the news of her age but how the two acted. This was something Kanan would do with his old friend Stance, but seeing Demira and Depa fool around with one another… especially Depa… was something he never saw before.

"Eighteen?" Sabine gasped as Demira walked by her towards Ezra. Demira was only as tall as Sabine, and the Mandalorian was sixteen.

"Size not matter," Demira said confidently as if she had been used to saying this.

"Size, no." Depa said putting a hand on the girl's shoulder, "But maturity, yes." Again, Demira gave a sly smirk to her master.

When Demira got to Chopper, the girl stepped back. Ezra stepped in and said, "This is Chopper, and don't worry, he's not as scary as he looks." Chopper pulled out an arm and slammed it into Ezra's thigh. The boy winced a little, but he masked it with a smile and then motioned to Kanan next to him, "And this is my Master who I was talking about, Kanan."

Kanan shook the girl's hand, "It's good to know someone else is learning the ways of the Force from Depa, she's a good teacher." He smiled at his master. Depa did return it but for a second it looked half-hearted to Kanan, as if she was trying to keep back another emotion. Was it guilt?

Demira looked at Kanan confused and said, "Huh?"

Depa came over, leaned into Demira's ear and whispered something in the language. Demira then gasped and pointed at Kanan. "So you are Caleb Dume!"

Hearing that name once again made Kanan wince. Well, he got his answer on just how much Demira knew about not only Depa, but Kanan himself. Though the others knew, Ezra didn't. The boy looked at Kanan with a raised eyebrow and repeated, "Caleb Dume?"

"Demira," Depa scolded. "You and I know him as Caleb Dume, but we will address him as Kanan Jarrus."

"Oh… so he has four names."

Seeing how innocent she was to this exchange, the crew couldn't help but laugh to themselves. Depa scrunched her eyes to keep herself from looking irritated as she explained, "No, no it's….well… that's not really a bad way to describe it. Just- please—"

"I know, Kanan it is," Demira assured.

"Good."

Chopper stepped in and said in droid speak something to which Sabine said, "Don't be rude."

"He's right, though," Depa said, "We do have other tasks to get to. The sun will set soon and we can't be out here in the dark. There is also the matter of the ship."

Demira whispered to Depa, "You can understand Chopper."

As Depa nodded, Hera pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "Ugh, I don't even want to know the condition of my ship."

* * *

"See?" Hera exclaimed as she pointed to the Ghost. "Just by looking at it I know we can't fly." The group had gone back to the ship to check the damage as a result of the crash. The outside of the ship looked fine except for a few dents. Where there were bite marks, some of them had small bits of gas or steam leaking out. The most obvious problem from the outside was the cockpit window where a giant crack almost split it open down the middle. "No amount of sealant we have can cover that up."

Sabine had walked around the ship to check its exterior, with Demira following out of curiosity. Seeing the markings and symbols on it, Demira stated, "It's so big.

"I've seen bigger," Sabine commented, "But the Ghost is the best ship."

"Is it because it's painted with symbols?" Demira asked pointing at certain designs.

Feeling proud someone noticed her artwork, Sabine crossed her arms and held her head high. "Personally, I think that's the reason why." When the two regrouped with the others, Sabine reported, "Mild damage to exteriors. Bite and claw marks in places where some wires are torn."

"Let's go in and check see just which ones they were," Hera said.

Everyone walked into the ship from the cargo bay, making their way up the ladder to the cockpit. As Depa waited with Ezra and Kanan, Depa mumbled to herself, "I hope we didn't go too far."

Kanan heard this and said, "Don't worry, this ship has survived all kinds of air attacks."

A stiff feeling in the Force had Depa stop just inside the cargo hold and look back. At the base of the ramp, Demira stood outside and leaning her head down to look inside. Ezra saw this and told her, "Demira, you can come in."

"It feels…. Dead…." She said, her eyes skimming the metal walls, metal ladder, metal balcony, metal everything.

"Well that's because we haven't started it up." Ezra explained.

"What she means to say is that it's not alive." Depa explained, "She's been surrounded by the jungle her whole life."

Kanan concluded, "And she's never been inside a ship, or anything made of metal." Now the description of the girl being wild made sense. She was almost primitive. Kanan started to have doubts. Yes, Demira was learning, but did it affect her training at all?

Depa nodded and walked to the ramp. She stopped and held out her hand to Demira, "Oe ngat Kamea…. I am right here for you." And that's when Kanan and Ezra felt it. Through the Force, they felt the bond between Depa and Demira for the first time and it was strong. The need to care and nurture, the need to protect radiating off of Depa. Demira's signature was that of slight fear but curiosity to mask it. She felt reliant.

Demira relaxed, then slowly stepped one bare foot on to the cool metal, then the other. She quickly grabbed Depa's hand and looked into her eyes. Kanan saw something, in both their eyes, and it felt so foreign to Kanan to see Depa have it yet so familiar. As quickly as it was there, though, it was gone and together Depa and Demira walked up to Ezra and Kanan.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **A.N: Ok, wow! So Demira meets the whole crew. I've been waiting so long for this part. And of course, Padawans od Depa meet. The Mace Windu Lineage is just amazing don't you think? Demira's a little crazy maybe, but looks like Depa is there to help. But is Kanan right to worry? Also, will the ship be ok? Find out next. Don't forget to check out the reunion on my DA. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**

 **Fun Facts:**

 **1)The language they speak is a mix of Swahili nouns and non- noun words that are from James Camoran's film Avatar Na'Vi language.**

 **2)Demira' reaction to meeting Hera is based off my friend's... healthy... obsession with Twi'Leks. HI HAYA!**


	8. Ch 7: Night Out

**A.N: I was going to update last Saturday, and then the Rebels Season 3 panel… and that trailer…. AND THAT BENDU CREATURE WHO IS BEAUTIFUL AND DARKSABER RETURN AND JETPACK AND ZEB SHOULDERS AND KANAN AND HERA AND THRAWN AGHHHHHHHH! Let me know what you're excited for this coming season!**

 **DeviLSPR: I've been waiting for you all to read it I'm so glad you love it!**

 **Starlight:Don't worry, and maybe the Tribe will be a little different. Oooo, ideas, I'm always open to ideas, especially Depa and Kerchec.**

 **Archer, I'm so happy you love the story! And yeah, I understand of cliffy's, it keeps you guys coming for more.**

 **I don't own Star Wars, if I did EZRA'S HAIR WOULD NOT BE THAT SHORT!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Night Out**

* * *

One by one the Jedi went up the ladder to join the others in the cockpit, seeing Zeb and Chopper weren't inside but Hera and Sabine had taken their places up front. Ezra saw Demira's eyes go big at the amount of functions and controls in the cockpit. As the boy helped the girl by trying to give her easy explanations on what the systems were, Depa and Kanan sat down at the chairs behind the Sabine and Hera.

The Twi'lek began to explain, "I sent Zeb and Chopper to run diagnostics on the Phantom while we check the status on the Ghost. So far we know cooling systems mildly teared so they can last us a small trip to the nearest repair station. Engines are fine, thankfully-oh, there we go—" Hera said, pointing to a schematic on the control panel. The door in the back slid open, making Demira jump and got behind Ezra. Zeb and Chopper walked, and Demira was left looking at the door in awe. Hera continued, "Life support offline. Must be a major tear in the system. Then again it wouldn't matter if we get it fixed or not." Hera looked at the giant crack in the window. "If we get this ship through hyperspace, the glass will break all the way."

"The Phantom has hyperdrive thanks to Qurrie." Sabine said, trying to sound optimistic.

"About that…." Zeb began.

Hera heard his nervous tone of voice and knew it was bad news. She rested one arm on the control panel and looked at Zeb, "Let's hear it…"

"Life support offline and one engine damaged."

Chopper added something else to which Hera repeated, "A break in the coils?"

"We've fixed damaged like this before," Kanan stated.

"...but on the fleet." Hera added, leaning back to rest on the chair. "And since we can't go anywhere, we're stuck."

"How about we radio in the fleet?" Ezra said, leaving Demira's side and going up to Hera. Demira went to sit down on the floor next to Depa's chair.

"Don't you remember," Sabine asked him. "Signal here is useless, we'll never be able to reach them."

Finally, after hearing how bad the damage to the ship was and how it affected the crew greatly, Depa stood up and said, "I'm sorry. We never meant to ground you. We intend to only damage the ships to get people to leave for repairs, but we went too far."

"It was only our first time Depa." Demira tried to assure her master.

"Demira's right." Kanan agreed, "You didn't know, it wasn't your fault"

Hera, who had been leaning back the whole time said, "As much as I don't want to be a stickler… that's still not going to solve our problem."

"And you're right." Depa told Hera, "Demira and I will help in any way we can… we just have to think—"

"Radio in?" Demira repeated what Ezra had said earlier. As she stood up and scratched her chin, Demira said, "As in communication right? Depa, your radio, from the broken ship…"

"Of course!" Depa said excited, "Brilliant, my Padawan." She then looked to the crew. "When I crash landed here, some parts of the ship had survived, including the radio. Even though signal is bad, it managed to get a signal once, only a little over six months ago. It may still work, and with the right tools, to redirect signal out instead of in."

"We still have the transmitter we relayed to the tower," Kanan stated.

"And we can plug it to the radio," Sabine stated, a grin growing on her face as she got an idea, "Work out the system so that we use the signal of the radio, and the transmitter will redirect the signal. All we have to do is remember which frequency the fleet is on and contact them."

Hera gave a sigh of relief, "And here I was thinking we were doomed. I guess we got lucky."

"So how far is this crashed ship?" Zeb asked.

"On the other side of the mountain, but that's not where the radio is. I brought it with me back home."

"Home?" Kanan asked.

"Where my Tribe lives," Demira stated, as a matter-of-factly. "It is much closer and on this side of the mountain."

Everyone now understood. Demira and Depa weren't alone on this planet. "Right, you still have to tell us about that," Kanan said.

A small grumble was heard and suddenly everyone looked to the source. Demira held her stomach and gave a sheepish grin. "Onga…."

Depa smiled and said, "How about over dinner?"

Everyone agreed, especially Hera. "I could really use just the time to sit and relax. And we still have food in the Galley that will rot soon if we don't eat it it within the next two days."

Kanan added, "And since Depa said it's not safe to travel at night, we sleep here and head out at first light."

"Then it's settled." Depa finished.

"Great!" Demira yelled, "I make fire."

"What?" Everyone asked watching as the girl darted towards the ladder.

"No, Demira, wait." Depa ordered. The girl froze just before she could climb down. "They don't use fires remember, Demira."

"Right… Then how do they cook their food?"

Depa chuckled at the sight of Demira's face scrunching up in confusion. Before she could explain, Hera explained, "We do have stoves, machines that help us cook our food. But since the Ghost is low on energy enough and we need some of it too keep us warm through the night, I suggest we don't use energy for the stove."

"And since you guys are used to making a fire by the sound of it—" Sabine began.

"Great!" Demira said when she understood. Climbing down the ladder she said, "I make fire."

When the sun had set and night was approaching, everyone was already right outside the entrance to the Ghost and sitting around a fire. Bele and Sar Sar were sitting at the edge of the clearing near the group, sleeping together with their head resting on each other's backs. Using a cooking pot from the galley and hanging it over the fire with sticks, Hera and Depa managed to make a pot of stew out of the rations they had. Everyone had their own bowls, even Demira, but the poor girl was having trouble using the spoon. Depa had to explain to the crew, "The Tribe is not used to utensils."

"I would like to learn." Demira insisted.

Ezra came around and sat next to her, helping her out. Meanwhile, Depa had asked to see Ezra's lightsaber. When Demira got the hang of the spoon, Demira took a sip of her food and said, "Hmmm, tasty?"

"Yep," Ezra said, "That's the word your looking for."

When Depa was done looking at it, she handed Ezra's lightsaber back, "A Blaster, too? Unorthodox, but very clever."

When Ezra slung it back on his belt he said, "Kanan said the same thing."

"Like Master like Padawan," Hera said.

Depa agreed, "Indeed. And it is good that in times like these, Jedi like you, Ezra, must adapt. Demira for example fashioned her grip out of wood, but the mechanics of it had to be taken from parts of the ship that I crashed here in."

"Yes," Demira said, "And it's much easier then Mace Windu's lightsaber I had to use—"

Hearing the name, Kanan almost choked on his food. Zeb helped the man out by lightly patting him on the back. When he was breathing normally again, Kanan said flabbergasted, "I'm sorry but… Mace Windu? He's alive too?"

"No, no he's…" Depa began but she faltered, giving a long sigh and putting her bowl down on the ground. Everyone became concerned when Depa had lean over, elbow resting on her knee as she rubbed the side of her temple. Demira immidiatly came over, walking on all fours until coming to Depa's side. She sat down and leaned to her master's side to give her comfort. Feeling Demira by her side brought a little strength back to Depa, and she said, "It will make more sense If I explain everything, The best way to do it is to start from the beginning… how I survived Order 66."

She looked at Kanan. "I know it's hard to look back sometimes, but the way I see it you can either run from the past… or learn from it." Kanan hated remembering what happened on Kaller, but he knew his master had a point. He nodded to her, knowing it was going to be hard to tell the story, but that she should have the courage to say it.

Then she addressed everyone, "I had told Caleb—Kanan—to run, but the minute he left the clones were ordered to pursue. Fearing for Kanan I turned around to tell them to stop, but one of them shot me in the back, and that was all I remember. I woke up sixth months later in a small home on Arret. Sarsley's home. She told me the clones had tried to burry me, but didn't do a good job of it. Sarsley was working at Kaller's Palace when she saw it all, and she came down to check when they were gone. I was alive, the clone had missed my heart by merely inches. It was still a miracle I survived, though…." Depa reached hand down below her chest and rubbed it gently, "I still have the scar to prove it. But I had no proof…. that Caleb—Kanan—had survived. Feeling the lose of the Jedi Order, everyone I knew, I assumed… I assumed Kanan had perished. That was my first mistake."

"No, Master, it's not," Kanan insisted, "I mean, I assumed too, that you were gone. I don't blame you," Kanan was going to add that he blamed himself for not staying to fight, but Depa didn't look like she wanted to address it.

"I suppose…" Depa said, slightly convinced at what he said. Then she continued. "But then I found out you were alive. As you all know for five years I lived under the name Marmee working at Agra's cantina. Then I found a bounty hunter poster, with Kanan's unmistakable face on it. I knew then and there I had to leave and find you. Ironically, that same day the factory had been attacked. Soldiers at the bar who saw me talking to the ones who had done it accused me of helping them. I couldn't let them take me in because I knew they would find out I was a Jedi, and I wouldn't be able to find Kanan. Thanks to Coryn's help I escaped on a ship, made it past a blockade, but somehow when I jumped into hyperspace, they still managed to hit me with something and forced me out. My ship crashed on this planet and the Imperials followed the trail. The hunt began."

Depa put and arm around Demira and pulled her close to her side. "In the midst of it all I found Demira, only eight at the time. She told me of her Tribe and in thinking they could help me I had her take me through the mountain. When I got to the village I was more or less welcomed, but they still helped me shelter where they live. But due to their slight primitive ways, they had no ships to help me leave the planet, or any way to make contact with anyone outside. As I continued to find a way out, the Imperials on ground tracked me down, and captured Demira. With the help of the Tribe we fought them…. At a cost…."

Depa took a deep breath and said, "Though they had their forces, they somehow… Mace Windu, my master, was with them. The Empire somehow used his almost mangled body and his memories to hunt me down and try to kill me. It took me a while, but I understood the Mace I knew was no longer alive, for the Force within his body was gone. When I fought him for Demira's freedom, he fell to his own death. But even if I had the choice I would have put him down myself. He did not deserve to be used as a puppet by the Empire."

"We bumped into something like that once…" Ezra said sadly.

Kanan explained, "Luminara Unduli's body was used to trap Jedi on Stygian Prime. We got the word out after we found out but…"

In hearing the fate of her friend Luminara, Depa grieved for a few moments. "But you wish it didn't have to be this way," Depa finished for Kanan. "There is nothing we could have done to save them Kanan. The Force… has other plans…"

"The Force?" Zeb repeated.

Depa smiled and looked down at Demira. The girl just giggled and rested her head on Depa's lap. The Jedi master said, "Living on this planet, I learned many things, and it all started when I found out Demira was force sensitive. With Kanan, we were meant to be Master and Padawan, it was destined. But I believe it was also destined for us to be separated at one point. You made friends, you joined a rebellion, and you took on Ezra as your apprentice." At hearing his name, Ezra looked at Kanan, and his master returned the gaze. "If things would have been different, I don't think we could be where we are today." Depa looked at Sabine, "Our eyes are opened to cruelty of the Empire," Then she looked at Hera, "People suffer," then she looked at Zeb, "entire homes are lost." It shouldn't have been surprise to them, for Depa probably knew the history of their people. But it still shocked them that Depa understood in some way what each one of them lost. "You are fighting for a reason, though however sad and cruel it may maybe, it brought you together to fight the good fight."

Everyone nodded, slightly sad having to remember why they were fighting in a rebellion, but in the end they were more happier, because Depa was right. They were together fighting for what they stood for. Depa continued, "For me, the reason was to teach Demira what the Force is and that it could be used for good. Her Tribe at the time was not used to her physical ability in the Force, and they feared her. And in turn she feared it, for she could barely control it. When I came I opened their eyes to her gift, and I took Demira on as my apprentice." Demira, feeling the attention on her sat up and held her head high.

"But what about the other Imperials? Did they just leave?" Sabine asked, a little surprised.

"I wish." Depa said, "When the Tribe had killed the last of the Imperial forces, to my discretion mind you, they had left a shuttle behind. I was going to take it to continue my search for Kanan and leave Demira behind. As I was flying out, I found out there was a Star Destroyer stationed waiting for the ground crew. They found out it had failed and was going to dispatch a new one to find me. I knew if I left they would go in search the forest and find the Tribe, and I couldn't let that happen. So I let their TIE fighters destroy the the shuttle, thinking I was in it and killed. Since then, the Empire has left me alone and doesn't know anyone is alive on this planet."

Through Depa's explanation, Kanan felt something through their bond. It was hard to connect considering it had been so long, but Kanan managed to feel something. Depa was holding back. There was another reason she made the decision to stay, and it wasn't just for the sake of the whole Tribe or even to train Demira. Kanan suddenly remembered what she had said earlier when they had reunited.

A loud roar was heard in the distance, making everyone go on full alert. Bele and Sar Sar got up on their hind feet real quick, growling towards the darkness of the forest. Demira quickly ran to where she had left her spear stabbed in the ground. She picked it up and pointed it towards the forest. Depa stood up slowly, saying, "Maybe it's best we get sleep, or at least start heading inside. Like I said the beasts here aren't as friendly as the ones you've met so far…. Including Demira." Hearing that, Demira turned her head around and stuck out her tongue at Depa playfully.

As they walked up the ramp, Hera said, "There's an extra bed in my room that either you or Demira could sleep in. We have mats that we could lay on the floor for the other or—"

"I request to sleep outside," Demira cut in.

Everyone turned to Demira, slightly shocked. For Kanan, he hadn't heard that request in years. He looked to Depa, "She likes to sleep under the stars, I guess."

"Most of of it is my fault I guess," Depa said with a smirk, "But I think the other reason is because of the ship.

"But sleeping outside with whatever is out there?" Zeb asked surprise.

"I manage," Demira said confidently.

Depa walked up to her Padawan and asked her, "Are you sure?"

"Oe te" Demira had replied.

Depa reached a hand out and rested it on the girls cheek. Demira put a hand over it and smiled. Depa then said, "All right, but make sure you sleep next to Sar Sar."

Demira stepped back, rolled her eyes and said, "I will."

"Stay close to the fire."

"Oe'a" Demira told her turning around and walking down the ramp.

"Weapons by your side."

"Oe'a!" Demira called back exasperated.

That's when Kanan saw it again in Depa's eyes. It wasn't just concern, it was… something else.

As the ramp closed up, Ezra said, "Don't worry. If she can tame a crazy Kuri like Sar Sar and tackle me to the ground, I'm sure she can handle whatever is out there."

Sabine said, "You say that like you're the hardest thing to beat next to those things."

"Maybe I am…" Ezra said, fixing up the collar of his shirt and giving a sly smirk.

Zeb came up from behind and ruffled the boys hair. "Yeah right," the Lasat mocked playfully.

Depa watched happily at the exchange, saying to Kanan, "A fine group of friends you have, Kanan." She then followed Hera up the ladder, leaving Kanan to dwell on a thought that would plague him for the night.

* * *

.

* * *

 **A.N: Wow, that was a lot! But hey, for those who didn't read my last fic now you know, yay! So, even though leaving is a no go, they at least have a way of calling the fleet. And how about that nice long talk, maybe the lessons learned are too much of a hammer to the head? Your thoughts? But what about that end, what is Kanan thinking? Find out next, and meanwhile I'm just going to continue fangirling and you let me know what's you're excited for in season 3. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**

 **Fun Fact:**

 **1)Since my last fic was inspired mostly by Tarzan, Demira's way of learning an acting is inspired by Tarzan's wild nature. Alos Tarzan happens to be my favorite childhood film**


	9. Ch 8: Reckoning

**A.N: Heyaah Nerds! Bad news, I got to take a week off the story because I'm going out of town, but I'll be back the week after.**

 **Teenylambofgod: Darksabor had a short comeback, for now, but you're right it's probably inherited and it's gonna be awesome!**

 **DeviLSPR: It's gonna be the opposite of that, no worries**

 **Starlight: No worries, and yes his hair… I feel. Some of the Tribe had, some haven't. Yay, the ship name should Kerpa, or Depchec! LOL! True, Ezra's smart.**

 **Kita Ronin: Thanks so much. I got to make sure there aren't plot holes, and thank the need to re-watch old episodes or I would never have thought of the transmitter. I feel like there are several side to Depa, can't make her bland. Yes, Demira can be adorable.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Reckoning**

* * *

Depa lay awake on the top bunk, facing the ceiling as Hera was asleep on the bottom bunk below. It had only been an hour since everyone had slipped into their nightwear and gone to sleep. Depa though, she was awake, going through the events of the day. The morning she had woken up with Demira in the home of the Tribe, now she was asleep inside a ship, her lost Padawan, no longer lost, just in the room across from where she was. It seemed so impossible, because there was no way to leave Panama, and she thought she could never see Caleb. But now….

Seeing her Padawan was here, and when they reunited, she fell apart. And she fell apart…enough to tell him the truth. She had known Caleb was alive, and when she had a chance to leave the planet she didn't because he had grown up. But when she told the crew she sacrificed her leave for the safety of the Tribe, Caleb didn't bring up the truth she had told him earlier. Did he not want to talk about it, or had he forgotten? Well, whatever it was she had to make it clear to him. Depa had already left Caleb to think she was dead, and horribly confused him now that he knew she was alive. She wasn't going to leave him confused again.

But he was most likely asleep, and she should sleep. But Depa just couldn't. The thought would keep her awake. Maybe she should talk to her Padawan, Demira. She was always one to listen, and the girl was most likely still awake.

Ever so quietly, Depa sat up on the bed and the jumped off, landing in a crouch on the ground. She looked at Hera, making sure she didn't wake her up. Fortunately, the Twi'lek was still sound asleep, resting on her side back facing Depa. The Jedi grabbed her robe she had hung near her bed and put it on as she walked out of the room. When she stepped out into the hall she was face to face with Kanan. Well, mostly. He was taller than her, and her eyes landed on his chest before they traveled up to his face. "Oh, Kanan… you're awake."

Kanan was equally as surprised to see Depa. He was expecting to be the only one awake at this time of night. Like Depa, he has been thinking all night on how lucky he was to be reunited with her, but he had problems of his own. He had many questions, some he feared the answer, but he had to be open about. In fact, he wanted to be open about it, to Depa especially. He felt the little kid he once was again, wanting to be honest to his master and just ask. "Yeah I am. And so are you."

"Yes," She said, crossing her arms and looking down. "I just couldn't sleep. Many thoughts in mind."

Kanan scratched the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, same here." That's when it got awkwardly quiet. Then suddenly, at the same time, they both asked each other, "Can we talk?"

* * *

Kanan and Depa sat on the ramp of the entrance to the Ghost. They watched as the last of the fire dimmed to ash, letting the wood inside glow a dark red. Demira was sound asleep, curled up under the wings of Sar Sar. The creature had their neck and tail on the ground curled around her to protect her from the cold night. Bele slept curled up on the other side of the fire.

The two Jedi had watched Demira sleep for a while, then finally Kanan broke the silence. "She's a good one," He said almost in a whisper. "She's wild but she has… good energy."

"Indeed, though you should see her in the mornings," Depa said with a laugh. Kanan nodded, still slightly put off about how easy Depa can take someone as crazy as Demira. Then Depa said, "The same to you. Not that Ezra is spritely, but he does have that sort of air where when you think, he acts. It's not a bad thing. Such a combination helps you both learn from each other. I see good things for your Padawan, Caleb." Kanan at first was happy with pride with the mention of Ezra, and then she said his name, and he frowned. Depa quickly said, "I'm sorry, Kanan. It will take time to get used to it."

"That's ok," He assured her. It wasn't the name that hurt, it was the questions that were related to who he was… but he just couldn't find the way to bring it up right now.

Finally remembering why they both were out here in the first place, Depa said, "I know you're thinking of something else. Something trouble you?"

Kanan smirked, "You always knew me so well."

"Yes," Depa said with confidence. Then she began to hesitated on what she was to say next. "I to have troubles… and it would put me at ease to know how you feel." Kanan looked at her confused. Depa tried to say with as much confidence. "I want you to know that I… I mean my choice to stay… I never intended to abandon you."

Now Kanan understood, "I remember when we first saw each other today, you said something about me growing up, and why you didn't leave the planet." She was feeling guilty about something. He hated to see her like this, and he wanted to help his master. So he listened.

Depa pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them close as she began, "I had two choices to make that day: to stay with the Tribe and train Demira, or go and find you. To protect the Tribes safety from the Empire and for the sake of Demira I stayed, but I knew I was leaving you behind. I tried to justify it, saying how I only wanted it for the best. I mean, what could I teach a Padawan at a time when the Empire was rising. You had survived without me, you grew up. I hope that's true because I never meant to harm you." Suddenly, her voice began to crack, "But If you did need me, and I did harm you, I am…." Depa tried to say the last part with calm and control, but it came out with the beginning of a sob and a few tears falling from her eyes. "I am… so sorry." She let her head drop to her knees, hiding her face as she cried.

Hearing every word she had said, Kanan scooted himself closer to Depa. He put an arm around her shoulders and another around her knees, pulling her into a hug by his side. He tried to calm her down by saying, "It's ok. You didn't, you never hurt me. You're here now, telling me why, and that's all that matters." Depa slowly started to calm down, not hearing words of anger but words of understanding. Kanan wasn't mad at her, he felt her guilt, and helped it slip away. She had nothing to worry about. Kanan continued, "Besides, you're right. It's a crazy galaxy out there right now, I can't even believe I adjusted. You, however, I couldn't imagine you in a Cantina serving drinks. You're probably better off here."

This made Depa completely stop crying and give a heartfelt laugh. She wiped away the tears and looked up at Kanan. He was smiling down at her. Depa definitely did not have anything to worry about. She took a deep breath, letting the worry of rejection and the feeling of guilt go out when she exhaled.

When Kanan and Depa parted from each other, Depa began, "Well, since we both have our troubles and you've helped me with mine, if you want…" She didn't finish but Kanan knew what she was getting at, but again, he didn't know how to begin. Depa eased his worry by saying, "I felt it all day coming from you. You've been feeling guilty about something, but in figuring out some secrets were kept, I waited until now that we were in private."

It was true, the others were asleep now, but the fact that it involved Depa, it still made it harder. Kanan looked at Demira sleeping curled next to her Kuri. Suddenly it dawned on Kanan how much more open Depa was. Not that she never was, but Depa had been still somewhat reserved back in the days at the temple. After all, Kanan found out about the fate of Sar Labooda until about half a year into his training. But now, she was easily comfortable in telling Kanan how she felt about something, it was new. And in seeing how Depa acted with Demira, sometimes goofing around, it made sense Demira was the cause.

He'll have to think about that later, but now his master was waiting for what he really needed to say. "I guess now or never… but yeah, you're right. I wanted to ask you…I mean… you told me to run." That's when he stopped. Why was it so hard to continue?

Depa tried to understand what he meant, but then it hit her. The last word's she ever said to him before they separated more then fifteen years ago…. Run. She looked at Kanan, seeing him close his eyes and at least try keep his heart from racing so much. She put a hand on his and gave it a gentle squeeze, letting him know he could say it without being afraid. Kanan felt the kind touch and felt relief from the old bond they had. Immediately, he continued, "You told me to run… and as your Padawan, I obeyed. But looking back at it now, do you regret it?" Depa blinked surprised. This was what was eating at him, all these years. The fact that they got separated because of that one word, that one order. He felt guilty for not doing otherwise. For not coming back to her. "Do you wish I was there to help."

Depa said right away, "No."

Kanan looked at her surprised, "B-bu—" Then he remembered the conversation with everyone by the fire. About the plans the Force had. "Because… it was destiny."

"That's not all of it. I mean, how can I know what the Force has willed until it happens. The decision I made for you to run, right there and then Caleb—Kanan—I made it because I wanted you safe. That's all I ever wanted since the day I found out you were alive. When I found out my order for you to run did not go in vein, and that you had lived, I never regretted my choice. Even if I died Kanan, I would never regret my decision."

Kanan couldn't believe it. Though, knowing Depa, it wasn't all too surprising that she would think this way, but still, after everything she had been through. Especially the feeling she abandoned him, she wouldn't regret it in the slightest. And for Kanan, she wouldn't have needed his help? "I could have—I could have helped you in some way. I mean, you said it yourself, you got hurt, badly…"

Depa rubbed a hand across her chest, imagining the scarring wound back to front. "None of that is your fault, Kanan," She said. "I can never blame you…"

After so many years of feeling the guilt, he could finally feel free. Kanan sighed, trying to hold back a few happy tears. He still wished he could have helped her, but at least he didn't have to keep feeling guilty about it. Depa could never make him feel such a way, she had a way lifting such burdens off him in the most honest ways. One tear slipped down from his eye onto his cheek. Depa saw it and with her other hand she placed it on to his cheek, her thumb whipping the tear away. They parted, seeing now that their worries were finally gone. Depa went on to say, "Besides, in the decisions we made, we found our places. You especially found your crew, and have gone through many adventures."

"Oh yeah, I've got tons."

"And I've got all night."

For the next hour, Kanan told her, in summary, of the many things that happened to him in the past fifteen years. How Kasmir helped him integrate into life on the Outer Rim, how he and Hera took on Count Vidian on Gorse, how he came across Ezra, his battle with the Grand Inquisitor. He could only tell so much in a small amount of time, then he and Depa heard Demira moan.

The two Jedi looked to see the girl start to shiver in her sleep as the wind picked up and the fire finally turned to ashes. Depa sighed, "I forgot to tell her not to take off her fur cape." Depa stood up and began to walk on over to where Demira laid with Sar Sar. Kanan followed behind, coming up next to her as she stopped by the Kuri. Depa grabbed the fur cape laying on the creature's back and then pulled it down so that it lay on top of Demira's body. The girl stopped moaning and she gave a relaxed sigh, a lazy smile forming on her face. She shifted around a little and blinked her eyes open a smidge, looking at Depa. She whispered, "Ma'te?"

"It's me, just go back to sleep."

Demira nodded and immediately did so after giving a big yawn. Kanan smiled and then frowned, feeling it once again, the strange connection between Depa and Demira. Obviously, it was deeper than the bond of Master and Padawan, it was foreign to see it so clearly from Depa yet familiar for him to… feel it from her. Feeling Kanan's confusion, Depa smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"

"No-nothing. I guess it's just… I'm getting tired."

"So am I. Time to get some rest."

* * *

The City of Moga became tense as the night turned into day, the tension growing with the rising of the sun. It began when a Star Destroyer came out of hyperspace and into view of those in the Kaller System.

A while after the Ghost had escaped Imperial chase, Imperials on Arret managed to identify it as the Rebel group to which the Jedi were affiliated with. Word got around through the system until it finally reached to whom it mattered the most. Without hesitation, Admiral Konstantine had the _Relentless_ fly to Arret and send down troops to Moga. Stormtrooper stationed there grew from a few hundred to a couple thousand in less than a day. Soldiers were being ordered around by several of high rank to cover different sections of the city, including the area surrounding Agra's Cantina. Their orders were to find out why the Ghost crew had been to the city but so far all the answers they got were "no" and scared looks.

Agent Kallus walked down a sidewalk now closed off to the public. He had a group of five Stormtroopers behind as they marched down to the small structure that looked like an innocent bar from outside. But Kallus knew from reports both civilian and Imperial there was something more going on in there. Kallus stood in front of the door and as it slid open, all that was seen inside were a bunch of empty tables. At the end was the bar where a woman was fiercely cleaning the shelves around some glass bottles.

Kallus cleared his throat and said, "Agra Gamor?"

Without looking back, Agra said, "Look, Mister, I've told every single troop that comes in here the same thing; I don't know where those Rebels went and I've got nothing to do with them!"

Kallus was slightly surprised at this sort of attitude he was receiving. Yes, it was true that troops that come did ask her the same question and she gave the same response. And it was definitely true that she looked as tough as nails and didn't care who she was talking to. But, the Agent was prepared for this. He said, "I hear claims, Ma'am, but our job requires to continue searching wherever we can."

Agra stiffened. She hadn't heard any Imperial speak like that before, and it wasn't because their voice wasn't muffled by a helmet. Agra turned around, seeing Agent Kallus for the first time. Getting a good loom at him, Agra knew she was going to have to work extra hard to get them out of her store. She dropped the wet rag she was using to dust on the counter and walked around the counter. As she went up to Kallus she said, "Yeah, yeah I hear you too, but if you haven't' noticed, I'm low on costumers today because of you guys closing the boardwalk to the public. Not that I'm telling you to do you job…"

"Agent Kallus,"

"Kallus… but I think you should look somewhere else where there is actual evidence. Come back when something really good turns up here."

Kallus had to give Agra credit, she wasn't afraid. Kallus had seen the mere sight of a Stormtrooper can send people running or turning their backs them. But for someone as high rank as Kallus, Agra didn't even flinch. She even went as far as to insult the Empire and comment on their routines. Either she was being honest, or it was an act to try and get Imperials to think she wasn't interested. But why would she be prepared to do that? Something wasn't right. Kallus continued "That's why I have come, something good has come here, and this isn't the first time. Rebels were seen coming into your Bar in the last twenty-four hours, and if I recall a long while ago Rebel activity took place here."

"Just like you said Mr. Kallus, it was a long while ago. And as for why it happens here, I have no clue. Don't Rebels have bases? Shouldn't you be looking for those?"

This little bit of conversation got Kallus's attention. People said Ghost had been spotted for some reason, but no one mentioned that there was already a cell on this planet… until now. "You seem to have a good knowledge about what Rebel activity is like."

"Of course," Agra said, sounded slightly nervous. She regretted having ever said anything about the base. It was just a way to get them to leave, not something the Imperials could use against her. She had to get rid of them fast, "It's what happens when my bar suddenly becomes a place where Rebels come. I start to learn about all the trouble they cause and why. All I've heard was that there's a bases, and that's that.'

Kallus wanted to continue the conversation knowing he was headed in the right direction. She claimed boldly she had nothing to do with the rebels, but if that were true, she wouldn't have suggested looking for a base. Knowing that an Imperial even higher then Kallus couldn't get Agra to talk, he needed a new strategy. Good thing there were two people waiting on the _Relentless_ to get their hands on the Rebels of the Ghost, especially the Jedi. And since somehow Agra was involved, they're going to want to question her. "I see," Kallus said. "Well, all things consider we still have to sweep the area one last time. A Troop will come by in an hour to question you."

"Oh joy…."

"Then we will open the boardwalk again."

Agra pretended to be happy for the sake of her business. "It'll be about time," she said sarcastically.

"Indeed," Kallus said with a smirk, turning around and marching out of the Cantina with the Stormtroopers right at his heals. Pressing a few buttons on the wrist console, Kallus said, "Admiral…"

"Yes, Sir," came Konstantine's voice.

"Let the Inquisitors know I have a possible lead on the Rebel's whereabouts."

* * *

An hour later, Agra sat at the empty counter, her feet kicking back and forth nervously. She mentally prepared herself for the next set of troopers to come by and question her. She wasn't scared, after all, she had pushed Stormtroopers out plenty of times. And this was the last one, then all of this would be over. But after meeting this Agent Kallus, and seeing he was definitely unlike any Imperial she had met, she wondered with this next one would be worse. "Pfft, yeah sure…" Agra told herself as she turned around in her chair. As she bent down under the counter and opened the drawer to grab a rag, she didn't hear the door to the Cantina open. She said out loud not thinking anyone was around to hear, "What could possibly be worse than a man with muttonchops and a fancy suite?"

"How about us?" Came a cold, feminine voice. It sounded like it had echoed throughout the room, but even if it didn't, it still sent chills down Agra's spine. Agra took a deep breath, telling herself these were just Imperials coming to question her. As soon as she stood up and faced who she was going to talk to, Agra had a feeling she wasn't going to get out of this one smoothly.

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 **A.N: Did I say muttonchops? Yes I did. Do I regret it... no. Anyway so Depa and Kanan have a big heart to heart, and if you think all has been resolved and the rest is gonna be shits and giggles, haha you are mistaken! Those two problems aren't the main focus of this story, at least not the biggest part. As for the ending, whelp, let's just hope I'm not Dave Filoni and I'll spare Agra and the rest of Arret's cell. Btw, writing for Kallus is hard, I'm not good with Imperials (This is why I can't write for Thrawn, I won't do him justice) So when I get back, we set off towards the Tribe! Whoop! I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	10. Ch 9: On Our Way

**A.N: I'm back from vacations, from swimming with wild dolphins and getting Jellyfish stings! But now I can fangirl over Rogue One Trailer AHHHH! Donnie Yen is precious! BTW, if anyone saw the whole Dave Filoni interview on the SW Show, it's inspiring, seriously go watch it!**

 **DeviLSPR: I had to rewrite it over and over to get it right, I'm glad you loved it.**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

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 **Chapter 9: On Our Way**

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As the next morning arrived, Demira woke up to the rising of the sun. She yawned, sitting up and stretching her arms behind her. Feeling something soft slide of her, she looked down to see her cape had been put on her. She smiled upon remembering Depa putting it on her the night before. Thinking of Depa, Demira got a wicked idea.

Depa woke up to find herself alone in the room. Hera had gotten up earlier then her. It was surprising to her, considering she wakes up with the rising sun. It was well past dawn for sure. After getting dressed and grabbing her staff, she walked out of the room an into the hallway. When she got to the cockpit, she saw Zeb and Ezra working on sealing the cracks in the window with some sort of adhesive. On noticing the woman walk in, Ezra said, "Good Morning."

"Good morning. What are you guys up to?"

Ezra answered, "We found some sealant in our supplies. It's not strong enough for hyper drive, but good enough to withstand flight." Chopper came rolling in front of Depa, saying something in droid speak.

"You found it, huh? Well, it will be easier to get to the Tribe by flying. And Kanan?" Depa asked.

"Fixing the tears on the surface with Sabine and Hera," Zeb answered. Depa walked with Chopper outside and sure enough, on the roof was Kanan, Sabine, and Hera both with a tool box working on the roof of the ship. Depa called up to them, "I do hope you didn't plan to let me sleep in."

They looked down at her, Kanan being the one to say, "Didn't want to wake you up, Master.

Depa smiled and then looked to the space of grass where Demira slept last night, "And I bet you are in on… this…." Depa faltered. She saw Bele sleeping soundly curled up where he had been all night, but Demira and Sar Sar were nowhere in sight. "Demira!" Depa called out, stopping right over the spot where Sar Sar and Demira had rested. Shuffle marks in the grass told Depa she and her Kuru had gone into the forest. Everyone's attention turned to the Jedi Master as she yelled Demira's name. Sabine asked Hera, "I saw her in the morning. Did you see her leave?"

The Twi'Lek replied, "I barely noticed her. She's slippery." For Kanan, he knew fully well Demira had gone to the forest while they had started fixing the ship, but he didn't know why. And it had been a while, and she hadn't come back. Depa called out again, "Demira!" Not hearing a response, Depa sighed, turning around and saying to the group outside, "Looks like she went out to to gather food for herself or—"

Something rustled in the leaves of the tree branch above Depa. It came out, hanging upside down and popping out in front of Depa, yelling an animalistic, "RAWR!" Depa gave a cry, and jumped back, hitting the tree trunk with her back. Everyone watch Demira as she hung by the tree with her legs, laughing as Depa staid back to the tree with her eyes wide and breath coming short. Seeing it was only her Padawan, the Jedi Master relaxed and said a bit irritated, "Demira…"

"I really scared you, did I?" Demira asked, still giggling.

"Maybe, but that won't happen all the time," As Demira jumped down and landed in a crouch, Depa told her, "Can't you imitate any quieter animals?"

"You mean like this?" Demira staid staid on all fours and then gave a loud howl. Having watched the whole thing from the inside, Ezra began to laugh. Depa covered her ears and yelled, "How about making up your own sounds?"

"Oh." Demira stopped. Then an evil grin appeared and she got on two legs to make a loud war cry. She beat her fist over her chest to display power and then darted away from Depa. The women could only sigh and shake her head, and Ezra could only try and muffle his laughter. The others could only watch, either with curiosity, or in Kanan's case, concern. Demira ran up to Bele, doing the same war cry and beating her chest. The creature only chuffed in annoyance. Suddenly from out of the bushes, Sar Sar ran out and followed her rider around. Sar Sar made all sorts of chirping sounds, trying to copy Demira.

Seeing the crew's reaction, Depa assured them with a sheepish grin and saying, "What can I say, the perks of having a wild child; there is never a quiet day."

Once Depa had Demira cleared any trace of them being in the clearing and it seemed like the Ghost could fly, they all prepared to leave. Everyone, except Depa and Demira, crowded into the cockpit. Hera took to the pilot seat, obviously, and started up the engines. Hearing them smoothly run, everyone gave a relieved sigh. The engines were not going to explode on them today. Hera, through a nice clear view between the cracks on the window, gave a thumbs up to Depa. Getting the message, she said to Demira, "All right, my Padawan. Let's get this ship in the air."

Demira gave a sharp nod. Demira jumped and swung on to the base of Sar Sar's neck while Bele helped Depa onto him using his foot. Staffs and spears in hand, the two were ready. The Kuru and the Kuri's stood up and went to the left side of the ship. Using their neck's, Bele and Sar Sar lifted the ship from being tilted to being level. Everyone staid rooted in their seats to keep from falling off with the sudden movement, but Ezra moved around so that he stood next to Kanan's seat and looked out the window. Kanan did, too, and together they watched in awe as Depa and Demira worked together to have their creatures lift the ship up. "Wow…" Ezra gasped.

Feeling how level the ship was, Hera pressed a few button on the panel and then held the steering back so that the ship pulled up. Depa and Demira's creatures took off into the air as the ship did and once they were all high above the forest, the Ghost followed the Kuru and Kuri towards the mountain ahead.

As the journey began, the crew noticed how much more and more they saw flora and fauna upon flying closer to the mountain. Some of the trees bared fruit or flowers. Animals of all kinds were either grazing in the clearings of the woods or hanging out in the highest branches of the tallest trees. Small flying creatures swarmed in a group of hundreds around the ship. Their four wings flapped vigorously as their large group flew by the ship. When passing the large creatures Demira and Depa rode on, Sar Sar attempted to chase them down. Demira gave a loud yelp of joy as their speed picked up. All Depa did was sit back on Bele and watch.

Ezra couldn't help but sigh out load and say to Zeb, "Can you imagine flying one of those?"

"If I remember correctly," Sabine began, "You were riding a Purgil only less then a month ago."

"I know, but Purgil are the gentle kind. These guys… they look fast."

Kanan had been quiet the whole time, and seeing him stare out through the cracked glass, Hera said, "I thought after everything that happened yesterday you'd be a bit more relaxed."

"I am, but it's not Depa."

"Then who?"

"Demira. She's… not…."

"Not what?"

Demira looked to have spooked the the small flying creature's because she ended up having to swat them away from her face with her hand, making Depa laugh. Seeing his master smile, Kanan dropped the conversation saying, "Eh, it's probably the strength of the Force around here… getting to my head."

"Because Depa said that about this place, I'll take it for now, but I don't think this is going to be the first time you say something about Demira." Kanan sat back on his chair, knowing fully well Hera could be right.

Only about half and an our of flying, and suddenly Depa stood on top of Bele. She seemed to call out to Demira for the girl pulled Sar Sar back into formation. Depa raised her staff out to her side and then pointed to the forest floor below. Hera, having seen from her spot on pilot, looked down and saw small clearing among a cluster of trees. It may seem small but it was big enough to land the Ghost perfectly down on the ground. As Hera began to let the Ghost descend smoothly to the forest floor, everyone looked around for any signs of people. Depa said she would take them to the Tribe, but there wasn't a sign of such life anywhere nearby.

On getting outside, Zeb was the first to ask, "I mean, I didn't expect a welcome comity, but where is everyone?"

"Hidden deeper in the jungle," Depa said as she came up to the crew. She motioned to Demira to head towards the forest. As if on cue, the girl turned and ran into the thick brush, getting on all fours and disappearing from their sights. Depa continued, "Some of the Tribe can be selective to who they let in. We need to approach with caution."

"But we're with you, so they shouldn't have to be too cautious," Ezra said.

"They're not used to seeing anyone who doesn't look human. I mean, they still were cautious with me when I came, and I'm human. I sent Demira out to see if there is a patrol around and give them a heads up."

"Then after we can fly the Ghost in right?" Hera asked.

"I'm afraid there isn't much room to land your ship. It'll have to stay out here." Hera became slightly nervous leaving the Ghost out just here. "Don't worry, though, no one here will think to take the ship. Most here would rather run."

"But that means we'll have to walk the rest of the way," Sabine stated. "How do we carry the transmitter?" Depa smile, looking towards Bele. Getting a large cloth, the transmitter was wrapped in it to protect it from the elements. Then Depa and Kanan secured it on Bele's back using rope and wire. As soon as they were done, a strained howl was heard in the distance. Everyone looked in the direction, the opposite direction of the mountain. Depa hummed a nervously, then said nothing, "Nothing to worry about, it's just the temporary neighbors."

"Temporary?" Sabine asked.

"Nomadic People of Panama, they come around and settle in the plains far down there from time to time. We leave them be and they won't bother us." Hearing how Depa said it, sounding slightly unsure, Kanan wanted to ask more about the Nomads. But Demira came running into the clearing, saying something quickly in her language. Depa was still securing the Transmitter on Bele and without looking said, "We have guest Demira, it's best you start practicing your basic."

Demira rolled her eyes but gave a smile, annoyed but knowing Depa had a point. She said, "No patrol, clear way through forest. Leave now, avoid Nomads." As they began walking out of the clearing and into the deep jungle, Sabine staid in the back of the group with Depa, asking, "The language, I've been meaning to ask, where does it comes from?" Kanan and Hera who walked alongside Depa listened into the conversation. "I've tried listening for a root but nothing comes close to what I learned in the academy."

"I've tried to figure out it's origin as well," Depa answered, "And the Tribe has no history of it, except the legend that All Mother spoke to the first people in that language."

Kanan asked, "All Mother?"

Before Depa could answer, from up front with Zeb and Ezra, Demira piped up and said, "All Mother is in all living things, she protects life and binds it all in one."

Depa explained, "The Tribe's Deity is said to live in every living thing on Panama," then she said with a smirk, "But to Jedi, it stretches just a bit farther."

Ezra got it right away, "It's the Force. Just like how to the Lasat's, they call it Ashla."

"Ooo," Demira said amazed, "Ashla… pretty name." She then began to skip ahead a little.

Depa said to Ezra, "I can see you already know different names to the Force."

"Is All Mother the reason why the Force is stronger here?"

"A name can't change the strength of it," Depa explained. "The Origin of it's strength is still a mystery, even to the Tribe. But knowledge of its presence did grow when the Jedi came here"

"You mean the Trader Rack?" Hera asked.

"Even farther back, to ancient times." Depa looked towards the mountain coming closer with every step they took. "I discovered within the mountain tunnels some answers answers. Apparently where there are cave paintings done by ancient Tribes, there are also cave paintings depicting life outside Panama with Jedi and their rituals. I only guessed at first it was an Ancient Jedi Temple, but it was confirmed when Demira was able to find her own Kyber Crystal in there."

Demira heard this, patting the side of her lightsaber hanging on her belt. Ezra heard this and said, "We found an ancient Jedi Temple on my Homeworld, Lothal, with the help of the Holocron." Hearing the word Holocron almost made Depa trip, but she didn't stop Ezra from continuing, "Not only did I found my Kyber Crystal but I had my trail there."

"I did my trial as well!" Demira said excited. "Goodbye, dark fear!"

That received multiple stares, to which Depa could only say, "There's barely any light in there, only deep dark tunnels. The Jedi barely did anything to this land, not even leaving behind a ruin. I guess they wanted to leave the Force her undisturbed, as it always has been." From behind the group, Bele had lifted his head up and gave a loud roar like squawk. "That mean's we're close," Depa said. As the trek into the forest continued, the ground bellow began to level down into a steep hill, bringing the group out of the jungle and into an open space. The space gave view to a shore by a river where a waterfall close up river created mist all around. Standing by the shore were hooved animals with black fur and long snouts. Their long blue mane growing along the spine of their neck as well as their tail touched the ground as they grazed on the marsh growing on the beach. Their blue eyes on either side of their head darted back and forth as the crew came in. At first, the sight spooked some of the creatures as they walked in with the Kuru and Kuri following behind, but upon seeing Demira and Depa, they calmed down. Demira marched by them paying no heed while Depa passed a few and gently stroked them on the bridge of their snouts. "Farasi, the Tribe rides them to get around then and let them graze here," Depa explained.

"They just leave them here? Why?" Hera asked, backing away slightly as one Farasi craned their neck to get a closer look at her.

"It's hard for these creatures to get into the Village."

"Why is that?" Sabine asked.

"Same reason we can't dock the ship."

At that moment, Sar Sar lumbered into the water, knee deep. Demira ran to her, climbing onto the creature's back then hung on to her neck. She put two fingers in her mouth and made three whistle sounds in a pattern, the sound echoing through the canyon where the river ran. For a moment, the crew were confused until a clicking sound was heard from the mist where the waterfall crashed into the water. "We can't dock the ship in the village," Kanan began, "Because it's behind the waterfall."

"Exactly," Depa said with praise. Only a minute later, a canoe appeared out the mist, and at the end, standing up and holding a long paddle, was a man. Where as Demira had light skin, he had dark. He had long black hair growing just passed his shoulder, the lefts side of his head fully shaved off. For clothing, he had fur covering his shoulder and around his waist to down just above his knee. What stood out where his blue eyes almost a sky blue, and the two green lines painted across his right cheek. The crew were astonished. Sure they had seen plenty of humans to go around, but to see just anyone dressed so simply, living on this planet, proving there is life here…. Life beyond that waterfall…. It was still shocking.

Upon seeing the large group, the man stopped paddling. He looked from the Ghost crew in fright, to Depa and Demira in question. Depa called out to him, "M'Stari, Fko lu mgnei. Ra'a txopo." M'Stari looked warily at the group for a few moments until finally continuing his paddle to shore. Once getting there, he jumped off and landed on the sandy beach saying, "Kalte sum kan."

"Oe ngat kamea," Depa replied. They continued to speak, pointing once to the group. The M'Stari replied, his eyes shifting nervously to the group, his eyes landing at the non-humans. It clearly made sense now to what Depa said earlier about the Tribe being cautious. Depa smiled to M'Stari, put an assuring hand on him and with the other pointed to herself. As if the gesture assured him, M'Stari motioned for the crew to come forward.

It was decided the crew would be taken by canoe with M'Stari while Depa and Demira rode on their creatures who would swim along with the canoe. Depa assured them, "I'll make sure Bele keeps the transmitter as far over the water as possible." Once everyone had gone into the canoe, it was Choppers turn and he had a hard time getting on. M'Stari, slightly fearful of the small passenger, did try to say the droid should stay behind, but that wasn't the problem. "Can't fit?" Zeb scuffed, "Hahah! Never knew the day would come when someone could out size you."

Chopper was a bit annoyed at this, waving his arms and pointing accusingly at Zeb, that is until Demira commanded Sar Sar to pick the droid up. With her mouth, Sar Sar held Chopper and finally placed the droid to balance on the spine of her back, just behind Demira. "Don't worry, Chopper, I got you." She patted the droid on the head to assure him. He seemed to still be angry at Zeb as he made a growl sound. Demira slightly panicked and scooted away.

M'Stari began to paddle the canoe away from the shore, Bele and Sar Sar swinging one on each side of it. Their long necks and large backs stood out, keeping their riders and cargo dry as they all went through the mist. The crew could barely see anything, but clearly, the waterfall was getting close. Upon seeing the wall of whatever in front of them, there was some rock sticking out through it. A dry space was left like a door for for someone to go through and get to the other side. But they all realized it was too small.

As if she could read the crew's mind, Depa stood up on her creature's back and held up her free hand. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the energy surrounding the waterfall. All eyes watched as the water around the dry space spread apart like a curtain, making it grow wider. "Demira," Depa said, without looking up and breaking her concentration. Demira made a gurgle sound with her throat and Sar Sar began to swim faster, going through the space first and getting to the other side. Then the canoe followed, the team looking at their surroundings as they got through. They found themselves in a cave with stalactites hanging scattered on the ceiling, drops of water and bits of rock splashing here in their. They saw Demira stand up on her creature's back, looking towards Depa with hands outstretched. Chopper got a bit nervous as As if it took no energy, the girl kept the water parted wide enough for Depa to let go of her control and have her Kuri swim through. Once safely on the other side, Demira let the water splash down normally again.

M'Stari smiled and said with a small gasp, "Onga…"

Kanan didn't understand the language, but he knew M'Stari was just as surprised as him about what just happened. This was the first time the crew had seen the two use the Force, and with little word exchanged, Demira and Depa worked together smoothly.

Looking forward everyone saw bits of light stream through a curtain of vines that hung down in front of a wide opening to the other side. Both Depa and Demira worked together, using the Force, to draw them back like a curtain. A fierce light temporarily blinded the them, everyone had to shield their eyes. Then when the canoe got to the other side, the light had adjusted and Hera, Sabine, Zeb, Chopper, Ezra, and Kanan saw something they couldn't have imagined.

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 **A.N: I had to rewrite this part so much because I wanted to make sure every word said had a purpose, that's what makes a good storyteller as I recently learned. So, as Kanan starts to question Demira a little more, he and Ezra learn a little more about the Force on Panama. And just because they met one person from the Tribe, the crew will learn he's just one of many reactions. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**

 **1) M'Stari means "Row" in swahili, lol**


	11. Ch 10: Zuri Tribe

**A.N: So, bad news, school started again next week, I'm going to have to take a week hiatus again. That's why this chapter is kind of short because I'm getting busy with packing an all. Also, two main characters are showing up in this chapter, and the concept art I drew is already on my Devientart, link on my profile here. Go check it out! Anyway, YOU ALL SHOULD SEE KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS IT'S FREAKING AMAZING!**

 **Retrokill: Thanks!**

 **Starlight: No worries, and oooo Belgium, sounds like fun! The questin is, what will Bruton think of the whole Ghost crew…. Read and find out! Maybe prank war? Or just some fun silly games here and there.**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 10: Zuri Tribe**

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The canoe brought the crew down the river that ran between a deep canyon much like the one they left behind at the waterfall. Except this time, the river was calm, and there was no mist. The canyon walls sloped down in an arc ending in a shore that met the edge of the water. The shore extended far, far down river. Above them a canopy of trees hung over the canyon, branches interlocking from either side to cover the sky and only letting some sun rays through.

But that wasn't what surprised the Ghost crew. It was the people, and the home they had made around them. Between some short, wide, and flat stretch of rock that grew from the ground, huts in the shape of domes made of branches and cloth were scattered around. People walked in and out of them, mostly out since they started seeing the crew on the canoe. Adults that were sitting around and sorting through baskets stopped what they were doing and looked up. Others who were fishing in passing canoes watched in awe as the M'Stari paddled by with the guests. Kids playing around now scrambled to the edge of the river and looked on, gasping loudly and sometimes going "oooo" in wonder at the sight of the new people.

"Welcome to the Home of the Zuri Tribe," Depa said.

Hera looked around, not seeing anything remotely close to machinery or technology. It slightly irritated her. Sure they were primitive and the life style suited them, but wasn't it hard enough to rely on simple tools made of rock and wood?

As if the people were the ones who stood out the most, Ezra said, "Look at them…"

"I know," Sabine responded looking around. She was so used to seeing less fanfare upon coming to a new place, but the look of wonder on some of their faces, it shocked her a bit.

Men were dressed in a simple lion cloth out of different material, some wearing cloth like a sash across their chest or a collar around their necks. Women had on simple cloth dresses, sleeveless or not. Everyone, even the young ones, were barefoot. Noticing how some of the adults had wood armor on and spears in hand, Zeb asked, "Was there a battle recently?"

"No," Demira said from her place on too of Sar Sar near the right of the canoe. "Those who's place in the Tribe are to be Warriors or Guards wear their armor to show it."

"Guards?" Zeb repeated.

Demira nodded, "They protect us, even in times when there is no battle to be fought, it assures our safety." Zeb nodded, understanding what that was like, more personally then Demira could ever know. "M'Stari is a guard." She pointed to the canoer. Hearing his name, M'Stari could only nod, having not understood anything else.

As the crew continued to watch the people standing by, Depa only looked on. To the right shore, on a tall outcropping of rock, a hut was built. Standing right outside, was a man in his early sixties with a long red and yellow cloth draped down from his waist to his knees. He had on a red vest and held in his hands a crocked staff with beads hanging from the crock by leather ties. His hair had beads as well. He had a nasty look on his face, showing a mix of hatred and disappointment. Knowing fully well who it was, and why he was had such a face, Depa knew this wasn't going to be a full, happy welcome. Kanan noticed her discomfort, but all he could do was sit in the canoe and wait to get to shore. But even then it was hard to even try and get next to Depa.

Once M'stari paddled the canoe up to shore, almost the whole Tribe crowded surrounded the crew. Demira and Depa had to have their creatures come and block them from getting close. Bele craned his neck down so that Depa could get off, stand with the crew, and say, "Well, this here is the welcome comity." Zeb could only laugh nervously in reply. Sar Sar let Demira slide down his wing as the Kuri reach back to grab Chopper by the top, then set the droid down gently on the ground. Then the two creatures flew off to the end of the canyon littered with pillars of rock. The Master and Padawan took to the front of the group, making sure their guest followed right behind as they lead them into the village through a crowd of people. Everyone wanted to get a good look, especially to the non-humans. Once, a group of kids all younger than eight came around Demira getting excited to see her. Some even ran between the legs of the crew behind her, looking up in awe at the new-comers. Upon seeing Chopper, they all gasped and ran away back to where the crowd of people were. Chopper tried to pay no head, seeing them as inferior, young, and reckless. But he couldn't help but look at the kids in curiosity for slight moment.

The other people who respected their space went up to Depa, greeting her in their language. Depa smiled, giving her greeting with nods and hands on shoulders. She tried to keep a calm demeanor, but she became more and more worried as she got closer to one of the rock ledges. The man in red had come down from his hut and closer to the village. Then up ahead in the crowd, Depa saw someone else walk up to her, and her stress vanished instantly.

Sensing Depa's nerves ease, Kanan looked to see the source. A man around forty came walking down with confidence in each step. He wore nothing but a black drape of cloth from his waist to just above the knee, then a cape black furred cape that hung from around his neck, shoulders, and back. Black tattoos in different symbols were etched into his broad chest and well-muscled arms. On his head, a human skull, and in his hair, pieces of bone braided in. When he came down, everyone bowed to him. The crew looked around not knowing what to do. They noticed Demira bow as well as Depa, so the only natural thing to do was to bow, too. Once everyone stood up straight, the crew found it safe to do the same.

The crew was going to ask who it was, but the man cut them off by saying, "Kalt ngat sumakes,"

"Oe ngat kame," Demira and Depa responded in unison. Demira went up to him so that when he stopped they were standing next to each other. As he put a hand on Demira's head, the tattooed man said to Depa in front of him, "Depa Billaba? Nga ra'a kez mgeni. Oe thwal Sikukuu!" He said the last word with a gesture of open arms and a smile. The crew instantly felt welcome and relief, especially Kanan and Ezra. There was something about the atmosphere around the tattooed man they couldn't pin right away.

Depa chuckled warm-heartedly and motioned to the group, "Mkuu Kerchec…. These are our new friends. Ezra, Hera, Zeb, Sabine, and Chopper." She then nodded towards Kanan and leaned closer to the tattooed man. "And this is Kanan…." She lowered her voice so only the people within the circle could hear, "Oe lal Padawan."

The tattooed man stared at Kanan, and the Jedi could only wonder what the man was thinking. Depa said the word Padawan, so did this man know who he was exactly? Suddenly, the big man gave a hearty laugh, raising his arms up and yelling, "Fantastic!" Depa said barely any of them knew it but this man was yelling it with barely an accent. "Welcome to the Tribe, Caleb Dume!" Tribe Members who heard the name, and understood what the tattooed man said began to whisper among one another.

The man then wrapped his arms around Kanan and practically picked him up in a hug. To say the least, Kanan, and even the whole crew were astounded by the behavior. Seeing Kanan's eyes go wide as his feet slightly swung back and forth with the pressure of the grip, Demira began to laugh as Depa went up to the man and said to him something in the language. "Oh, sorry… Kanan." He said to the Jedi, and he set him down. As Kanan stumbled a little but recuperated with the help of Hera, Depa reached over to Demira and poked her in the forehead to get her to stop laughing. Demira giggled at the gesture then stopped, leaving a grin on her face.

The tattooed man said to Depa, "You must be so happy." He gave her a genuine smile, putting an arm around her back and rested it on her shoulder.

Depa smiled back, saying, "You have no idea," as she reached a hand up to touch his resting on her shoulder. Having seen intimate gestures like this between Hera and Kanan, the others in the crew gave knowing looked towards each other.

The tattooed man said, "I am Cheif Kerchec, leader of the Zuri Tribe." It dawned on the crew now why they had to bow earlier. "I welcome you Kanan, Ezra, Hera, Sabine, Zeb, and…" He faltered when his eyes landed on the droid. But instead of becoming wary like M'Stari, he exclaimed joyfully, "And Chopper." Chopper was a bit surprised and he rolled back a few inches. "I—I um….Excuse my excitement, it's been a while since we've had guests from the outside."

Depa explained, "Kerchec personally knew Trader Rack back in the day. He was an active learner of basic as well as knowledge of the outside worlds."

"And I still am," the Cheif said with a smile.

"Depends on what it is, my Chief," came an older voice from behind the large crowded.

Instantly, the atmosphere became stiff. Depa frowned, trying her best not to roll her eyes. Demira on the other hand visibly slouched, crossing her arms and grunting in annoyance. The Chief brought a fist to his mouth and coughed nervously into it. the crew could only wonder what was going on. The crowd turned around, parting way for the older man wearing red and holding crooked staff. As he came down everyone bowed, this time crossing a both arms over their chest. Though it was clearly obvious Depa and Demira weren't all too excited to see this person, they bowed like the rest of the crowd. As the crew bowed too, they noticed the Chief had not. When the older man had joined the group, everyone had stood up. He said to the Chief, "The outside worlds—"

"Are sometimes dangerous…" The Chief finished with a slight irritated tone. Then he calmed himself and said, "You never let me forget." He tried to finish off with a small laugh, but clearly this man in red killed the excited mood he was on earlier.

"Hmmm." The Shaman looked at the crew, taking in every detail of them. He looked from Kanan and Ezra, to Hera and Sabine, and lastly Zeb and Chopper. He didn't seem afraid, but he wasn't excited either, he was just… disappointed. The crew couldn't help but wonder what his deal was, then they remembered Depa said something about how some of the Tribe might be skeptical of outsiders, like M'Stari was at first. But this was too much, what was his deal? And once again the atmosphere around this older man was probing Ezra and Kanan to no end, and worse because of his mood towards them. He said to Depa, "Billaba, I'm sure you are aware of the fact you never told me you were bringing outsiders here."

"I understand the… faulty… of not letting you know ahead of time, Shaman," Depa said to him, this Shaman, with respect, "But they can be trusted."

"I don't know that for myself."

"They are friends and do not intend to harm the Tribe." The Shaman didn't seem at all convinced.

Trying to appeal to the Shaman's interest, Demira stepped in and said, "Considering the circumstances with the Nomads residency right now, leaving the crew alone may not be wise. The last thing we need are Nomads to consider them trespassers from our Tribe onto their land."

"Our land…" Shaman growled towards her. "And you very well know that though Nomads may be Incompetant…," Demira frowned, her head shrinking down to her shoulders. The crew noticed this was the first time they'd seen her sad. The Shaman continued "Nomads are not stupid either," The Shaman then looked back to the crew. "It's obvious these six are not from our Tribe."

As if they weren't agitated by him enough, the crew slowly became furious. Was the Shaman calling them out because they weren't all human? Depa kept her calm demeanor but her eyebrows slightly twitched to almost look like she was going to scowl at him. Through the Force, Kanan could feel her holding back some anger. Demira's eyes widened and she looked back and forth between the Shaman and the crew. The Chief, however, said, raising his voice, "Bruton! These are guest—"

"But they are—"

"To be treated as guests under my word, Shaman."

And it looked as if that was that. Shaman Bruton became quiet. The Chief had made his call. Though the Shaman acted like he was in charge, it was obvious who he was supposed to listen to. The Shaman looked to the new-comers again. Then he looked at Kanan. Having heard who he was to Depa, the Shaman said, "Quite the coincidence your Padawan has come to here of all places."

"Actually, somewhat true," Depa said with a knowing smile. The Shaman frowned at this as Depa said, "He bumped into a friend of mine who told him to come here to find me."

"A visit then," the Chief said, delighted.

"How long do you intend to stay?" the Shaman asked the group, less excited.

It was slightly surprising he was talking to them, for the whole time he had not addressed them directly. Hera was the first to recuperate quickly and answer, "As long as it takes to get our ship fixed."

Depa explained, "Due to misunderstanding, their ship crashed here. They need to call their friends to bring help. They will use the radio I have—"

The Shaman's eyes widened as he almost yelled, "Billaba, are you saying to me that more outsiders are coming—!"

"To help fix their ship," Depa tried to reason.

It didn't look like Depa was going to convince the Shaman, so the Chief stepped in saying something in their language. Then he went back to basic. "They don't mean to harm us, so we should return that kindness and help them."

"Last time we tried to help someone…" Shaman said, looking at Depa, "Imperials almost found us. Our peace could have been shattered."

"They do not look like Imperials to me," Chief argued. "We can trust them with our secrets."

"But how many will know?" The Shaman ask. "How many will it take until you realize there can be consequences to all this. Chief, you make the decisions, but I am your guide, take heed…"

The Chief was at a loss for words and he looked at the group uncertain. When he looked to Depa, he stood up straighter and said confidently, "Depa has never given us a reason to not trust her word."

The Shaman looked back at Depa, who gave Chief a thankful nod. Then he looked down and scratched the bottom of his chin. Suddenly he remembered what Hera had said, and he looked up to say to the crew, "However long it takes for you to fix your ship…Then you all leave."

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **A.N: Not the best welcoming comity I guess. The Tribe is somewhat curious to see them, and the Shaman Bruton is less curious and more furious. At least he kept his cool longer than last time, am I right? Thankfully Chief Kerchec is there to end the whole debacle. Now they can finally focus on contacting the fleet. But again, you won't see that until the end of my little hiatus. Be sure to check out my Shaman and Chief concept art on my DA. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**

 **Fun Facts:**

 **1)The setting of the Tribes home behind the waterfall is based off the natives/mayan village in the Road to El Dorado film.**

 **2)Kerchec's name is inspired by Kerchak from Tarzan. Bruton is derived from the word "brute" meaning unreasoning…. How fitting.**


	12. Ch 11: Contact

**A.N: Weird first week of school. Slow, but exciting. Though for animation classes, I'll probably be pulling all-nighters soon. Check out my Deviantart for concepts of the young Tribe members, link on my profile here.**

 **BELIEVE IN THE NIGHT: Thank you so much!**

 **Teenylambofgod: Ooo, I really like the history comparison you made. We may have something in the future…**

 **Starlight: Ugh, some boys can be such show offs. Kerchec has always been friendly, he just had to be more helpful to Demira. Right now Demira is stronger, and you'll see why, but with how season 3 looks, Ezra will stronger, though I won't go that far into the story.**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Contact**

* * *

The Shaman had left without another word. The Chief addressed the Tribe in their language and everyone dispersed. It was quiet the whole time as the crew followed the Chief, Depa, and Demira through the village, all the way to the far side close to the wall of the canyon. There, a small rock ledge was carved out. A wooden ramp lead to the flat top where a large hut was built out of wood and white fabric. The hut looked more a like a tent with the shape almost a square then a dome. Waiting, one on each side of the hut, was Bele and Sar Sar. Demira ran up the ramp and straight to her Kuri. She wrapped her arms around the creature's muzzle and touched noses with her. When the crew got to the top with Depa, Bele stood up and turned around to the side, making it easier to see the transmitter still strapped on his back.

As Depa patted the Kuru on the snout, the Chief looked to the crew and said, "I apologize for the behavior of Bruton. Unlike me, he had a more distant relationship with Trader Rack. He's cautious of visitors."

"More like he disregards them all together," Zeb said angrily, finally letting out some steam he had been building up since the Shaman called the crew out.

"If there is any way I can make it up to you…" the Chief said, "Maybe I can help you with contacting your friends?"

"I can handle that," Depa said, walk back to the group and then reaching over to hold the Chief's hand. The contact made him smile. "How about inviting them for meal time tonight."

"They're invited every night!" Chief declared. Everyone's spirits began to pick up again. He let go of Depa's hand and began to walk away towards the ramp down to the village. "How else will they eat?" As he turned around, he yelled back, "Good Luck, my friends."

Demira called out, "See you soon, my Chief!"

Depa looked solemnly at the crew, "It's not his fault. I should ben more prepared for Shaman's reaction. I really, truly am sorry for what happened." The look on her face, shame, sadness, Kanan couldn't bear it. He wanted to say something, tell her it was ok. But he wasn't the victim of all Bruton's word. He couldn't speak for the whole crew. "Shaman Bruton is a cautious man but he has never gone as far as to—"

"It's all right, Depa," Hera answered. "We've all been called out a lot worse, believe me." Kanan looked to Hera, giving her a thankful look.

"Yeah," Sabine said, "You learn to ignore it."

Demira heard this and asked, "But how do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Ignore it?"

"Well, you just…. let it pass you like if you never heard it."

"Oh…" Demira said pensively. Sabine and Depa unstrapped the transmitter from Bele as Zeb and Kanan both held the heavy machine between each other to bring it inside the hut. Passing the tarp acting as a door, the crew observed the inside.

Four thick wooden beams inside kept the high ceiling strong and the walls upright and sturdy. Between two beams, a hammock was hung low enough for someone to climb in. Between another two beams on the left, a hammock was tied high up. It was no surprise to who's high hammock belonged to as soon as Demira climbed like an animal, with easy up the beam and laid comfortably on the hammock. Sabine looked around, noticing the white fabric had paintings all around. A lot of them had figures and people doing activities, and other were symbols. Upon closer inspection, the figures were often only two people, one in orange and one dress in brown. If Sabine had to guess, it was Depa an Demira. Scattered along the walls of the hut, wooden logs carved out and woven baskets acted like cubbies and drawers to place items inside. Hooks were punctured into the wooden beams. One held an old, worn out satchel. Another displayed a set of bow and arrows. Depa placed her staff on display next to it. On another hook she placed her mask.

"Over there," Depa pointed to a stump of wood at the back of the hut. It was wide and flat enough to place the transmitter safely on top. Once the transmitter was set down, Depa went to the corner of the room. Hidden behind one log cubby, something was hidden under a woven blanket. When she pulled it off, she revealed a dusty, but unbroken radio. The machine was smaller than the transmitter, but it was enough to make Hera breathe a sigh of relief. This could work. Depa brought the machine to sit it next to the transmitter and by pressing a few buttons on a small control panel, the lights on it lit up. A monitor with a needle began to move slowly along the numbers. Hera did the same with the transmitter, letting the machine run, but watching the meter bar never light up.

"Once we hook up the the radio to the transmitter, we should be able to get an output."

"We got to fix the input frequency first," Sabine said.

"Yes, but it will take time to rewire the frequencies to find—"

Sabine went ahead and ripped off the top of the radio carefully, exposing a mass amount of wires inside the machine. Quickly, she began to rip so wires out of sockets and move them around to different ones, often connecting two wires into one. Depa blinked, impressed at how fast Sabine was, so when she looked to the group, Hera was the one to say, "I don't think you'll have to worry about time."

When Sabine was done, she put the top of the radio back on, and then moved around the switch on the console, "Now to find the private frequency…. Got it".

Then, She and Hera used wires to connect both the radio and the transmitter together. As they worked, Demira had watch stunned from her hammock above, then she jumped down with ease and crawled between the group so that she was sitting between Hera and Sabine and watching them. "Onga…" Demira gasped. Hera and Sabine could only smile at the girl's wonder. They knew they were done when the meter on transmitter lit up and began to receive a signal and the sound of static filled the room. Afraid of the sound, Demira backed up and went to sit next to Depa.

Hera grabbed the small mic and began to speak into it, saying, "This is Specter 2 of Ghost to Phoenix Squadron come in Phoenix Squadron." All eyes were on the transmitter now, everyone hoping that the static would turn into words, words from their comrades. "Specter 2 to Phoenix Squad, come in." Hera said a little bit more desperately. The room slowly grew nerve racking. They worried that they were never going contact the fleet. "Specter 2 of Ghost to Phoenix Squadron, please respond," Hera said one more time, gripping the mic as she silently pleaded for this one last attempt to work. For a few seconds it was static again, and then suddenly words started to form. A deep and familiar voice became audible through the static. Since it was still heard to understand, Sabine tweaked the frequency a little by slightly twisting the nob, and then….

"This is…Leader …come in…. Captain Syndulla, is that you?" Many things happened at once. Zeb and Ezra cheered, giving each other a high five. Sabine sat back and let her head rest back to look at the ceiling with a relieved grin. Kanan patted Hera on the shoulder, getting her to calm down from the excitement of hearing Commander Sato's voice. Demira, was so shocked to hear a voice come from the machine she backed away and crawled around to hide behind Depa. She looked to her master to see how she reacted. Yes, Depa was happy the crew made contact…. But it was Hera's title that had a curious grin appear on her face.

Hera went straight to work, "Yes it's me."

"And your crew is with you."

"All accounted for."

"Coryn called as soon as you left Arret. He said you were being chased by Imperials. Since you have not rendezvoused with us in the last couple of hours, we assumed the worst."

"We got rid of the Imperials once we jumped into hyperspace, so it's not the worse, but it could be better."

"How so?"

"We crashed landed on a planet in Wild Space and the Ghost has taken extensive amount of damage, including the window of our cockpit cracked and one of the engine coils of the Phantom fried. The Ghost won't make it through another jump."

"Send us your coordinates then and we'll—"

"The Transmitter won't send coordinates, but we can give them to you manually."

"Why are you using the Transmitter."

"Signal on this planet doesn't work so well."

"How were you able to lock into our frequency?"

"We bumped into an old colleague of Specter 1's who had a radio able to get some signal. We're talking on a miracle here." Hera told Sato the coordinates then said, "When you get here you might not be able to find us so easily. When you see a mountain, land in a clearing nearby. You'll know what I mean when you see it."

"All right. We've got our missions, so we'll do our best to—"

"Don't compromise a mission for our sake, we're not in any immediate danger anyway."

Kanan chuckled. It was just like Hera to think of the bigger picture first. Before the connection went offline, Ezra cut in, "Oh, and let Ahsoka know about us. She might want to come and say hi to Kanan's friend."

"Very well," Commander Sato said, and then the transmitter went static.

Depa raised an eyebrow and asked Kanan, "Ahsoka…. As in Ahsoka Tano?" Kanan shrugged. Depa could only smirk and say, "My, you do have friends in high places…" then she looked Hera. Remembering the Twi'Lek's title, Depa said with a smirk, "Captain Syndulla, for example."

It didn't hit Hera right away on what Depa was getting at, until she remembered Kanan had told her Depa Billaba's master was Mace Windu…. Who once worked with her father, Cham. Thankfully for the Twi'Lek, Demira wrapped her arms around Depa's neck from behind, stopping the Jedi from going on. Depa had to kneel over as the girl leaned over her and said, "What do we do now?"

"We wait," Depa said

"Ugh…" Demira ground and pretended to lose all feeling in her body. She slumped to the floor on her back and said, "Waiting is boring…."

Ezra snickered at the act. Depa said, "We'll we're not going to wait sitting down all day of that's what you're thinking"

Getting the idea, Demira stood up on her feet quickly, yelling, "Woohoo!" and running out of the hut. Everyone followed behind, walking out of the tent and onto the rock ledge where the Kuru and Kuri sat. Depa and Demira stood on the edge, the older Jedi saying, "We should at least give you a tour of the village since you may end up spending the night."

"Come, come!" Demira said excited as she grabbed Sabine's hand and using the other to push Ezra on the back, leading them down the wooden ramp from the rock ledge down to village grounds. Zeb and Chopper followed right behind them as Depa had Kanan and Hera on either side of her walk with her.

Going through the village, Demira took Zeb, Chopper, Sabine, and Ezra through busiest part. Surrounded my several huts, a clearing was left open in the middle for people to walk around and do their chores. People were going around from moving supplies, making supplies, or finding someone to converse with. Demira and the group passed by a couple of women who were sitting down, and upon seeing them the women called out to her. Demira stopped, making the others stop too to see what the women were doing. They all stood up and held up leaves and flowers of red weaved together in long strands. Demira grabbed one and put it around Sabine's shoulders, saying, "Fpom weka, peace lays. A gift of welcome."

"Oh," Sabine said, surprised.

The two women went to Zeb and Ezra, putting one peace lay on each one. They thanked the women, but Sabine was still slightly shocked. She welcomed the peaceful gesture, but the fact that it was there. "Are you all right?" Demira asked Sabine after seeing the Mandalorian's eyes go wide at the sight.

"So-sorry, it's just I'm not used to all this…" She motioned to the women, and then to the people around. Some were doing chores while others talk in groups or children played in the clearing. The laughter, the liveliness, "You don't get this sort of peace out in the galaxy, with the Empire and all."

"Depa told me, I can only imagine—" The sound of young laughter far off made Sabine's head shoot up. Demira saw this and asked, "But at a young age, you can at least have some sort of fun."

"Eh, I have more fun now then I was in the academy."

"This academy you spoke of before, where you once imperial?"

"Pfft, long time ago," Sabine said, rolling her eyes as the thought of being in the academy suddenly became too dreary to think about. "After seeing what they really do to people, I wasn't going to let them make a soldier out of me." She looked around, seeing at the people around, walking calmly, looking nowhere near nervous. It was so relaxing. She really hoped these people never had to see what she saw

Demira got an idea, putting a hand on Sabine's shoulder and saying, "Then let us enjoy the day."

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **A.N: Again, short chapter because school started. I think I may end up sticking to writing five pages worth per chapter considering I'll also be animating for my classes at the same time. In summary, crew makes contact with the Rebellion, and Demira and Depa learn the talents, and some history, on the Ghost crew. Since this story is before "Homecoming," I didn't linger for a long time on the mention of Cham, but Depa knows… lol. As for Sabine, she's going to have to get used to the tranquility. Next, the crew is exposed to more of the Tribe world. Don't forget to check out my DA for concepts. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	13. Ch 12: The Young Mark

**A.N: Oh my god I was supposed to update two weeks ago I am so sorry guys! It got crazy with animation class. I'll have to start updating every other week to keep up. Also,** Also BRUH SEASON 3 IS SO GOOD SO FAR, THE BENDU IS AMAZING, KANAN AND EZRA HUG, MAUL'S A DICK, PHANTOM GONE, AND CALEB DUME MENTIONED HOLY SHIT!

 **Retrokill: I can't stop laughing at the word potato LOL XD. And thank you!**

 **Teenylambofgod: Same here, but mostly the new testament. I'm taking Theology this year on the old testament, and it's actually quite fun.**

 **Starlight: You'll see why she's strong soon. I have an idea on what when they're going to prank people, but it won't be for a couple of chapters. I was actually going to do it on Kanan, but I can sneak Hera getting pranked too. The idea is that everyone of the Ghost crew learns something from Panama, especially from Demira and Depa. Ezra's is how to have fun with the Force, which results in not only pranking, but becoming better at something else which I can't say.**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: The Young Mark**

* * *

While Demira had taken Zeb, Chopper, Sabine, and Ezra on a tour, Kanan and Hera tagged along with Depa to go meet with the Chief at the entrance to his hut. It was the second tallest rock ledge in the Tribe home. After informing him of the arrival of the Rebel Fleet, Chief asked, "And when will they be here?"

"Perhaps tomorrow," Hera answered, "It wasn't exactly clear, but they needed to get certain things done before they could come."

"No worries, we let the come anyway." The Chief pulled back the curtain door of his hut, but stopped to look back at Depa to say, "I will tell Shaman soon."

Depa snorted, saying, "Better you than me."

The Chief could only laugh. "Someone's got to do it. We have our responsibilities, speaking of which… where is yours."

"She took some of the group across the River. You know how excited she gets when she can show off what she knows to someone new."

"She's proud when someone lets her, you know that."

Kanan noticed right off the bat something was up the way he said that. Instead of sounding like he was agreeing with her, Chief's tone made it sound like he was warning Depa. But Demira being proud? What did that have to do with anything? Depa smiled and closed her eyes. Then with the flick of a wrist, the curtain doors flew up like a gust of wind had blown through and then rested on top of the Chief. Depa giggled and motioned for Her and Kanan to follow her down the wooden ramp. Chief pulled off the tarp and said, "I will see you all tonight then."

Depa, Hera, and Kanan got down to the level ground, bumping into someone on the way. A man dressed in nothing but a loincloth. Depa said something in their language, pointing up towards the sky at one point. Hera and Kanan looked up, but saw only the canopy of trees covering full view of the sky. The man nodded, saying something to Depa, before patting her on the shoulder and walking away. She explained to the two, "He's on sentry duty tonight. I warned him to keep an eye for anything that resembled a ship. Now…" Depa turned to look across the river. "For us to look out for something, or some people."

* * *

"That's how I learned your basic," Demira said after she drew on the dust ground some Aurabesh and drawing in front of the group of visitors. after having gone across the river to the less populated part of the Tribe home, the group had sat down together. They all sat cross-legged as Demira explained, "Better than most at least," Demira added shyly. "Depa is better teacher then Chief was

"Pretty good…" Ezra commented.

Sabine added, "Considering you don't have a written language."

"It is painted," Demira explained. She pointed to some drawings along the canyon wall. Sone people, some elderly, were drawing different shapes into the rock wall." "See, it is a part of the tribe. It tells who we were and who we are. Like you." She pointed to Sabine's breastplate. "You have a have a symbol." She motioned to her back, "Ezra has one." Then she pointed to Zeb's left shoulder plate. "And you. You all have Mark."

Ezra explained, "It's nothing really special…"

Zeb answered, "I just let Sabine draw one day."

Sabine said, "It does have some meaning but… what do you mean by mark?"

"The tattoos on our Chief…" She began, "Represent the different skills our Tribe contributes. Warriors, gatherers…" Demira's smile wavered a little. Then she tried to pick up her mood again and said, "We call them Chapas."

"What do the two green lines mean?" Ezra asked as he motioned his head to a couple and their daughter as they walked by. The adults had the two green lines on their left cheek, but not the young girl.

"The mark of the Tribe. Everyone gets it when we are young to show our loyalty to the Tribe."

"What do you have to do to get it?" Zeb asked.

"Everyone is different. Some work more than others. Some have natural ability. Depa and I got ours by keeping the Empire from finding is. They said we were brave." Demira held her head high, hands on the ground, and chest out, proud.

"So Depa's officially one of you guys," Ezra commented.

"Hmm." Demira hummed with a sharp nod. Then she reached up and pointed to Ezra's left cheek. "You can be one of us, too. You naturally have it."

Ezra put a hand on his cheek, realizing what she meant. "Wow," he said surprised, "Well, what do you know? I guess I am one." Then he elbowed Sabine and Zeb, saying, "And considering I'm force-sensitive, I can get my own Kuri too."

Demira laughed as Zeb said, "Dream on," while Sabine could only shake her head and smirk.

A series of yells and warbling sounds brought everyone's attention behind them. Where a group of young kids had been playing a small ball game, they were now running away in different directions as Chopper kept chasing them around. "Stupid droid!" Zeb said as he got up.

Sabine positioned herself to sit on her knees as she explained, "He must have gotten bored."

Ezra got up and went to Chopper, holding him back by his top and saying, "Chopper stop, you're scaring them."

Seeing as all the children had found places to hide such as behind rock pillars and outcroppings, Chopper looked to Ezra saying something in droid speak. Ezra replied, "So what it's not like you wanted to, you still did."

"And I call Bantha on the fact you didn't want to scare them.," Zeb said. Chopper just growled.

Ezra made sure Chopper rolled back with him to the group, but Demira noticed as they did, the children began to peek their heads out from behind wherever they were hiding. Chopper noticed too, his crop top turning back to look at them. Demira got up and went up to a large stump of rock and said softly to them, "Za'u ftumfa…. Come on out."

A ten-year-old girl with a toddler hanging on to her back walked out. A seven-year-old boy walked out with her, looking at Demira. The older girl bent down to get on all fours, her front weight being supported by the knuckles. She motioned Chopper to come back, and this time he did, slowly. Zeb mumbled to Ezra and Sabine, "This atta be good." Chopper stopped a few feet away as the young boy suddenly got only all fours and began to move around the astromech. The boy then sat and poked the droid on one of his optics. Receiving a surprised chortle from Chopper, the young boy giggled. Seeing as Chopper hadn't hurt the boy, the girl with the toddler patted the droid on the head, smiling at him. The droid rolled back a bit surprised, and then he went back to the group in a hurry. Ezra laughed, sitting down next the droid and saying, "Wow, Chopper, I didn't know a kid could get you so nervous."

The droid punched him in the shoulder. It's not that Chopper was scared of children. Heck, Hera was about the age of the children when she found him. But that was just the point, it was just Hera, he never got close to anyone young like her. And even more so, Hera had been slightly mature for her age at the time. The children of the Tribe were much more innocent, and curious. Almost proving Chopper's point, a child, a five-year-old boy with nothing but a loincloth suddenly climbed on top of him from behind and sat on his crop top. Chopper had to do his best to not lean too far back for the kid not to fall. Why they wanted to be with him drove him a bit crazy, but not as much as the fact that… he had been all the more curious about them too.

Zeb laughed, "Look at that, Chopper is making friends."

As Demira hobbled back on all fours, more kids suddenly came around. Sabine felt someone behind her on her left. She only caught a glimpse of dark brown hair before it disappeared. She looked right and there it was, an eight-year-old girl dressed much like Demira but in faded green. Sabine watched as the girl stroked her blue hair, and then asked something in the language. "Um…" Sabine began.

Demira said, "She asks if you were born with you blue hair."

"I actually just colored it," Sabine said, as if it were obvious.

"Wow, really?" Demira said, "I wish I knew how to do it."

"I can show you sometime if you'd like."

"Oh yes, yes!" Demira said joyfully. Then she said something to the little girl. The little girl became awestruck and crawled on to Sabine's lap so that she could get a better look at Sabine. She even began to eye the designs on the armor.

Zeb suddenly felt something crawl up his back and he froze, arms raising up a bit in reaction. He turned his head to the right to see now sitting on his shoulder was a five-year-old boy in a lion cloth. He sat almost perched on Zeb's shoulder as he moved his hand around the Lasat's head and then poked at his ears. When they twitched, The boy laughed with excitement and continued to maneuver around Zeb's head and neck to get a better look at him. A boy with a sash came up to Zeb's left and looked at his arm from bellow, gazing in wonder at his fur. For Ezra, he didn't seem to get that much attention. After all like so many of them, he was dark haired and blue eyed. But it was his cloths that got the attention of the girl with the infant on her back. She went on over to Ezra and poked at his knee trying to feel the fabric. Then she went on she crawled over to look at his shoes. He just watched as she wondered how his shoes got on his feet. The infant on her back stared curiously at Ezra.

Footsteps were heard coming towards the group. Looking up, they saw Depa, Kanan, and Hera come over to them.

Seeing what was going on Depa laughed and said, "It looks like you are all getting a lot of attention."

Zeb said, "Now I know what Ezra meant when he first met Demira. No personal space." The boy on his head poked at his ears again, and Zeb could only smile at his reaction to the twitch.

"We like to learn what we see," Demira answered.

Hera sat down next Sabine and immediately the girl on her lap climbed off and went to sit next to Hera. As she leaned over the Twi'Lek's leg to get a better look, another girl about three came crawling up from behind on all fours. Then she sat down touched Hera's lekku. They quivered in reaction and Hera turned back. The little girl fell back and scooted a few feet away, but Hera motioned her to come back and the little girl did. Kanan bent down, which had a couple of boys and girls come around to see why he wore such unusual clothing.

Depa came down next to him, and said to everyone, "I do hope they haven't been much trouble." She scooped a young boy in her arms. "Like Demira, they can become a little rowdy." She then tickled the boy on his side, making him giggle uncontrollably for a few moments. When she put him down, then ran across and went to sit next to Chopper. Kanan was surprised at the act. He had seen Depa be somewhat playful with Demira, but with other children. "You're so good with them."

"I learned a thing or two when Demira was young."

Demira giggled in reaction.

From a higher rock ledge, a group of adults and teens were calling out to the group. The children immediately got on their feet and walked on over to the ledge where the adults were. Chopper became a little restless when the boy on his crop top jumped off and ran to the adults. The droid even began to follow him but Hera was quick to say, "Leave them, Chopper, they look like they're busy."

"Actually," Depa began, "They're about to get ready for dinner. We should prepare too." She looked to the edge of the river where several canoes with a paddler were coming to shore. "We should take a ride back."

"Come, Come!" Demira exclaimed as she stood up and began to run to a canoe. "You don't want to miss it!"

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 **A.N: Nope, you don't want to miss next chapter. As Depa gets the job done, Demira talks to kids of the Ghost to have some fun…. With kids. Poor Chopper, but at least we see how soft that rust bucket of bolts could be. Also, the children get to see how their visitors are like. But what's the point of the marks? And how much was Depa involved in Demira's childhood? Find out next chapter, updates every other week now. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	14. Ch 13: Tonight

**A.N: Ok, so bad news… I can't update for the next couple of long weeks. Animarion is getting deep, I have to start a big paper, and by the time I'm done I have to study for finals. So… this story will go on hiatus until December. I'll be back by then. Hopefully I won't be dead of so much work by then… or the rest of season 3 of Rebels having reduced me to a puddle of feels (HERA FEELS!)**

 **Slow time fore reviews, well, everyone has work too not just me a LOL.**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 13: Tonight**

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By the time the crew had crossed the river back to the main side of the Village, the sun's rays striking between the leaves of the canopy above turned from a faded yellow into a bright orange. By then, everyone was hustling about with baskets of food or heading over to the clearing surrounded by the village huts. That's where they all gathered.

As the sun set, Depa had the group sit down between her and Demira as the whole Tribe gathered around a large pile of wood. Soon, three men stood by it and using sticks to create a flare and light it on fire.

"A bonefire?" Ezra said.

They saw three woman come give baskets of food to random people. They then passed it around the circle around the bonefire.

"Chief did say he would make a big celebration for us," Kanan reminded them.

"Oh, he didn't have to make you all go through so much trouble," Hera said.

Depa, sitting at the end next to Kanan, looked from Hera next to Zeb, and then she looked down to the end where Demira sat at the end with Ezra. The girl giggled, saying, "It is like this all the time."

Depa suddenly was given a basket by a women near her. Depa grabbed the basket, saying "Irayo," and then looked at the contents. With a raised eyebrow, she said, "Although, I think he did emphasize on the word feast, and that… he did go overboard." She looked up across the bonefire. The others saw Depa looking at the Chief among many of the elders. He waved at her, giving a smirk. She could only shake her head, a cocky smile forming on her face. She grabbed food from the basket, holding out a bright orange fruit. Kanan looked at it, having never seen something like it before. And he'd been almost everywhere. When the basket was passed to Ezra, he took one and passed it the basket to Demira. She was going to just pass it to the person next to her when Depa said out loud, "Demira…"

"But Depa…"

"Healthy food makes a good fighter." Demira grabbed her fruit and passed the basket. She had an annoyed look on her face as she took a bite, but it was suddenly replaced with a smirk. As Depa was not looking, Demira maneuvered a seed in her mouth, aimed, and spit fired. Depa felt the impact on her left temple. She only flinched slightly before looking at Demira. At first she had a stone cold glare, and that's all that Kanan saw before he turned to looked at Demira himself. The girl giggled. Depa could only shake her head and let a smile grow. Thinking Demira was being immature, Kanan took a bite of his fruit and said, "It's good." Depa nodded to him, and Demira saw this. Quickly, she began to engulf the entire fruit.

Eating from their flat wooden plates, the crew continued to eat. At one point, Zeb looked up and saw a group of older men, all with the Mark of the Tribe and wearing armor. They had been watching them, him specifically, and once they noticed he was looking a them, the turned away and began to talk among each other. Thinking they were saying something bad about him, Zeb muttered to himself. "Bogans, better not be spreading rumors about us."

With each basket of food was passed around and the meal progressed, the crew found it harder and harder to hold their food on simple wooden plates. Hera muttered, "I know they're not advanced but they can't be this bad..." She tried to pick up what looked like some sort of bean, but it slipped through her fingers easily on to the floor.

Depa held up a small stick with a sharp end. "They are very hands on here…. But I've managed to find ways."

She tossed the sharp stick to Hera who grabbed it with quick fingers. "Oh thank goodness." Before she could pop a peace of what look like meat into her mouth, there was a sudden yell come from the other end of the bonefire. It made the crew jump, and for Hera she dropped her plated. She cursed in Twi'Lek before looking up to see the source of the yell. A man came out fro the circle of the Tribe with a large mask painted. He began to chant in the language, and soon, people from random spots took out instruments and began to play a tune to the chant.

"Huh what now?" Ezra asked surprised.

As the man with the large wooden mask danced around… in a way the crew had never seen before… some of the Tribe began to stand up and dance along with him. They dances around the space around the bonefire, chanting and laughing. Depa said, "It's how they end the day. A way to show the All Mother their thanks for being on this Panama another day."

Demira saw a women pass by, her long skirt twirling as she danced. Demira became excited, standing up and dancing along with them. She cheered, jumped in the air so high both feet were off the ground. As she waved her hands around in joy, Depa said, "I think though it's just a way to get any energy left out of our system… out of Demira's especially."

Demira went back to the group, taking Ezra's hand and trying to pull him up. "Dance, Dance!"

"Wh-what! No—"

"Aw come on, kid," Zeb mocked, "Too scared?"

"No, I don't know how… at least the way they do it."

"Depa learned," Demira reasoned. "You can too, come, come!" With little strength she easily got Ezra to his feet. He almost stumbled forward but Demira kept him on his feet. Grabbing his hands, Demira moved Ezra around her. She then let go and moved her arms across her, over and over again, in a wave motion. "Do as I do."

A bit embarrassed at first, Ezra looked around out of instinct. But then he realized everyone was doing the same thing. Who were they to judge how he danced? And no, Zeb didn't count. Ezra began to copy Demira, doing wave motions with his arms. When he did, Demira then began to move her feet back and forth. It surprised Ezra that she managed to stay only on her toes, light on her feet. Ezra tried to do that, but it seemed with his shoes on it wasn't easy, he almost tripped. Demira kept him up and together with the music, they danced.

Zeb gave a hearty laugh, but not out of mockery, but out of pride. "Look at you, twinkle toes."

Sabine laughed along too, then looked around. It felt so unreal to see this much excitement for something as small as an evening meal. Depa had said it was a way to celebrate a good day gone by. This was definitely something not done in the academy, but even in all the planets she's been in and all the civilians she's met, it was never this crazy, this lively. The Tribe had reason, and he freedom, to celebrate what they wanted. Where else was it like this in the galaxy?

"It's good to see Demira get along with Ezra so well."

"You didn't think they would?" Hera asked, a bit worried.

Knowing Hera thought something horrible would have happened to Ezra, Depa assured her, "Oh don't worry, I knew they would. It's just Demira doesn't always get along right away with people."

Kanan said, "I heard you speak to the Chief about her, saying she likes to boast about herself when she can."

"She doesn't mean to boast. She just gets excited when someone asks her to teach them things she knows about, which isn't often except for the little ones."

At that moment a bunch if children ran by, dancing around. Chopper watched with interest as Hera asked, "Why just children?"

"Well the older ones… they may understand Demira's powers more then when before I came here, but…"

"They still fear her." Hera concluded.

Kanan looked at Demira as she giggled at Ezra's missteps. Often, she would dance around him like crazy, flailing her arms and kicking up her feet more then anyone. Kanan wondered if her over-excitement was the reason many if the Tribe still fear her. She could, after all, let lose the Force and accidently hurt someone.

Then Depa answered Hera, ""No, they fear her future…." Kanan whipped his head around to look at his master. The Chalactan women had an almost distant look on her face. "Even I don't know what—WAH!" Depa gave a yelp when someone suddenly put both hands on her shoulder from behind. The group saw the Chief give a hearty laugh as Depa tried to sound annoyed with a huff, which didn't last when a smirk appeared on her face. As he bent down face level with her, Depa reached up and slapped him lightly at on the side of his face. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that when I'm eating!"

"And how many times do I have to tell you; have fun!" He stepped around her and bent down to grab her by the hand, pulling her to her feet.

"No, no…." Depa whined, playfully rolling her eyes.

The Chief took a step back, putting his hands up and saying, "Well, only because you say so. I will miss this chance, though."

Kanan and Hera looked back and forth between the two, seeing how Chief acknowledge the female Jedi's request. But though it seemed like she wasn't in the idea of a dance, Depa suddenly went up to him, grabbed his hand tenderly in hers and said, "Oh, stop being so over dramatic. It's not like we don't do this every other night. Besides…." She stepped and turned around, walking away, "I don't think you can keep up this time."

"Oh, I see…" Chief ran up to her from behind, grabbed her hand and spun her around him. She gave a yell of joy as he pulled her close into an embrace, one arm around her waist.

Hera and Kanan looked at each other. Sure when it came to their flirts it was here and there, but they always thought it wasn't subtle enough. Compared to the Chief and Depa, it was nothing though. Sabine and Zeb lightly chuckled as Demira and Ezra stopped dancing to watch the Chief and Depa began to dance. Like most of the Tribe who danced in calm and slow tempos to the past beat, the Chief and Depa moved around each other. They moved around each other, arms out so their wrist touched each others and palms were up. Their steps were in sync as they maneuvered around creating a circle. Often they would spin or jump, but they would always come back locking wrist and facing each other. Demira sighed in contempt, without even noticing she put her arms to hang over Ezra's shoulders from behind him. The boy was a bit startled, but figured this was normal considered their first encounter. All he could do was nod in agreement as she said, "How romantic…"

The Chief wiggled his eyebrows, getting Depa to laugh out loud. It warmed Kanan's heart to see Depa so overjoyed, full of life. It felt so surreal, yet so right. Though she had kept her chin up when things looked back during the Clone Wars, Kanan knew she was doing it to hide the sadness of a prolonging battle. Here, she was at peace, calm, surrounded by those who took her in and made her one of them. That's when Kanan became sad himself. She was happy here… The Chief, it seemed like his kindness and outgoing nature caught his Master's attention, in ways Kanan never thought were possible fore a Jedi of the Council. Then Kanan looked at Demira. She was wild, but somehow Depa was ok with that. And not only ok, the Jedi went along with the fun antics of the eighteen-year-old. Depa's life had changed…

Kanan frowned. And what could he do for her now? Suddenly, he remembered something he had done before he got of the Ghost earlier that day. Kanan reached back and felt for back pocket. There, he felt the Holocron. If he could show Depa the Holocron she had given him over fifteen years ago….

Distracting him from his thoughts, Hera said, "Looks like they're having fun."

"And you're not?" Kanan asked with a coy smile. Then he frowned realizing she wasn't joking. Hera leaned over, elbow resting on her lap as she held up her head with her hand. She looked bored, and Kanan could feel the waves of unease radiating off her. She felt out of place. There seemed to be only one way of cheering her up staring Kanan in the face, but he was determined to at least make her smile. "Well, we'll just have to change that." He got up on his feet and then went up to Hera from behind.

"Kanan, what—aGH!" she was pulled up onto her feet as Kanan her from under her arms.

"Da da daa daAAAA!" He began to chant with the beat of the music as he wrapped hi arms around Hera's stomach from behind and swayed his hips back and forth. Hera pursed her lips, trying to hide a smile, but she couldn't help but sway back and forth along with Kanan. She had to thank Kanan for helping her feel better, feel less out of place. She rested her head back under his chin.

"Ehehe," Zeb chuckled, pointing at Kanan an Hera as he nudged Sabine on the side, "Look at them."

"Never ceases to amaze me how they don't go this far when we're not out there…." Sabine began.

Ezra smiled at Hera and Kanan, happy to see them enjoying themselves together for once. With there always being one mission after another, the two, though they wouldn't out right admit they ever wanted it, would ever never get this time together. Ezra looked at Demira and laughed, seeing the girl tilt her head out of curiosity at the sight. It seemed like nothing could ruin this good night.

Arret's night sky showed no moon that night, leaving the suburban streets darker then ever with only the light post on every other block giving light.

At Coryn's warehouse, it was not only dark, but quiet. No sign of movement from inside. Outside was a different matter. The door by the sidewalk suddenly became overshadowed by two figures, one slimmer and shorter then the other was tall and buff. Across the street there was a rundown apartment complex. One window had it's shutters open, letting anyone inside the room look outside. A pair of spy-scopes was set to look directly at the door where the shadow figures now stood trying to open it. Peering out from behind the scope was Coryn. The Aqualish looked back into the dark room he was in and said, "Agra was right, they would come tonight."

"Of course they would," came the unmistakable, but surprisingly shaken, voice of Agra. She stepped out of the shadows, revealing she was wrapped in a shock blanket. "Those, those people… they're determined to get them. And they'll do anything, even kill…" Agra wrapped her hand gently around her neck. A horrible flash back sent her back to the Cantina she worked at. The feeling of an invisible force choking the the air out of her, almost taking her life if she hadn't reveal the information the person in control was looking for.

"Calm down, Agra," Came Sarsley next to her, putting a reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder. "You came to us right after you told them where our base was. Now we're all safe because they won't look here."

"Yeah, but they'll keeping looking there until they find something," Coryn said, "My poor warehouse… I tried to hide as much as I could, but I really hope there isn't a clue left in there. I don't want them destroying the place for it. Those… whatever they are…"

Sarsley thought back to how Agra described the people from the Empire who interrogated her. They didn't look…. Seem… like people… and the powers they had, it was inhumane…. And poor Agra, for once in her life, had been scared, making these people from the Empire more then a threat.

The two figured outside suddenly pulled out their weapons and turned them on. Red blades lit up like hellfire in their hands. Sarsley gasped, "I know what they are…"

"What?" Coryn and Agra asked.

"We need to call your friend again, Sato, and tell him what's coming after the Ghost Crew."

"I've only heard stories form the Jedi back in the clones wars, but I can't remember their names. But they are like the opposite of Jedi…. dark force users they use to say."

The two shadow figures used their red lightsabers and slashed through the door, and as they went into the dark unlit hanger of the warehouse, the light of the blades revealed their appearance. Dressed in black, heavy armored, Inquisitors, the Fifth Brother and the Seventh Sister.

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 **A.N. You didn't think I would forget that there is an actually plot to this story right? I wanted to leave you with an extra long chapter during the hiatus so here you go, and with a cliffhanger to keep you waiting for the next chapter. So Ezra learns to let loose as Kanan and Hera finally have some Kanera time. And what's this… pairing Depa and the Chief you say? Maybe…. So I'll see you all in December. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	15. Ch 14: Holocron's Message

**A.N: K so I'm back but before I continue, I think we should all agree, that Rogue One was just absolutely mind blowing. Hahahah you don't have to agree, I'm a pile of a mess of eels sorry LOL! Also this season of Rebels has been so good, from Mandalorians to Clones Wars Nostalgia and WE'RE GETTING KENOBI AND SAW GERRERA WTF WE DON'T DESERVE SUCH AMAZINGNESS.**

 **Starlight: Nah I feel, I had the same problem last week. Demira and Ezra are practically family with the same space grandma/mom. That Kanera bit actually came out of my head, but I wouldn't be surprised if some movie out there had it done. Possibly the Inquisators are coming….**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 14: Holocron's Message**

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"Since it seems the fleet won't be here for another while, I had sleeping arrangements done," Depa said as the night's feast had concluded. Everyone but the crew with Depa and Demira had dispersed and gone to their homes. Depa had the group follow her back to the wide rock ledge where her hut was. This time, next to the hut was a large makeshift tent built big enough to fit three people. "The boys can sleep in there while Sabine and Hera can stay with Demira and me."

Demira got excited, grabbing Hera and Sabine by the hand and pulling them into the hut. "I'll help you set up your sleeping mats!" she exclaimed as Hera and Sabine were dragged behind her.

"You boys sleep tight," Hera said before she disappeared behind the tarp door. Kanan was going to say something to her, but Demira's joy beat him, slightly making him flustered. Zeb, Ezra, Chopper took one look inside their tent and then quickly ran in yelling.

Zeb: "I call the comfiest one."

Ezra: "No fair! I want it too."

Zeb: "Get your own."

Ezra: "Take that one, it smells just like" "OW!"

Chopper: "Wuhwuhwuh…."

Zeb: "You don't need one you're a droid!"

Kanan shook his head, rubbing the side of his temple as Depa came up to him, giggling slightly. "Will you be all right with um…"

"Don't know. Can't be much worse than living down the hall from them, right?" He finished with a smirk.

Depa chuckled again, then ceased when she heard Demira's loud voice from inside their hut. "Well, I bet they're more behaved then Demira is when it's time for bed."

"Right," Kanan said, agreeing to that fact a little more then he should.

That's when Depa got a sense that Kanan was uneasy. On instinct, she said, "Is something wrong, my Padawan?"

"I believe so, Master." Their eyes widened and the two looked at each other in disbelief. They hadn't spoken like that in so long, and they wouldn't do so by accident to just anybody. It felt just like old times for them. "I ah um…" Kanan began. Sure it felt like old times, but he really wasn't ready to tell Depa what he truly thought of her new Padawan. He then remembered what he had hidden in the back pocket of his belt holster. He pulled out the Holocron and held it up for Depa to see.

Depa got weak-kneed seeing it. "You, you kept it…" She had to hold on to Kanan's shoulder to keep from falling and Kanan helped by put and am around hers. With her other hand, Depa reached out and grabbed the Holocron gently as if worried it would break. "After all these years you held on to this…."

"The last bit of knowledge of the Jedi not in the hands of the Empire…. A gift from my Master I thought long lost…"

Depa held the Holocron in both hands now and closed her eyes. She smiled. "It has been recently used many-a-times."

"Yeah, between me and Ezra we discovered so many things and places. It's how we found the temple on Lothal. I'm grateful you had given it to me. So I thought since you're alive…. I'd give it back."

Depa frowned, opening her eyes to look at Kanan. "Cal—Kanan," she began as she reached over and grabbed on of his hands, placed the Holocron in his hand but not letting the object go just yet. "I gave it to you so that when you needed the guidance you would look into it. You need it more then I do, especially in a time when a Rebellion is growing more and more every day. It will need the guidance of an experienced Jedi like yourself. The Holocron will help."

"What about you?"

"I have learned all that the Holocron can teach me. I can gain new knowledge in new places." Depa looked down the wide rock ledge and to the village far in front of them. She and Kanan watched with a smile as families retreated to their homes in peace, the fires being put out, and the sound of silence growing.

Kanan looked at the Holocron. She was right, compared to him she had used it more before passing it to him. And her new life did give some new insight, and not just for him but his crew. Then it suddenly hit him. The fleet would be here soon. They would have to leave soon. And considering how well adjusted Depa was to the village life, would she leave? He looked at the door of her hut. It had grown quiet now, but he couldn't help imagine the over-quirky 18-year-old inside not even trying to fall asleep. Before the sudden tense feeling from Kanan could grab Depa's attention again, he suddenly had an idea that made him a little happier. "I don't know…" he began. "There is always new knowledge placed in Holocrons. Ezra and I have added a couple of our own. There's even a message in there that you might want to hear. I'd like for you to see."

He grabbed Depa's hand and placed the Holocron gently onto her palm. She grabbed it, looked at it with curiosity, then gave a beaming smile to Kanan. "You have grown so much. Of course, there is always new knowledge. I'll keep it for now until the fleet comes to get you."

"Nothing would make me happier," Kanan said, genuinely happy.

The two parted for the night. As Depa walked into her hut though, she had to stop at the door as she saw Hera and Sabine sitting on their own sleeping mat, still awake as Demira kept blabbering on about something. She pointed to a small strand of hair in the front her face. "How about something small to begin, like blue."

"Blue doesn't exactly blend lie camouflage," Sabine said as she reached out and gently grabbed Demira's Padawan braid. "A dark green will definitely work, and on the braid it would look stellar. Hera what do you think?"

"Not to be biased or anything but I like green…"

Demira and Sabine slightly giggled as Hera sat back, hands on the ground to support her, as she smirked.

Both hut and tent sat quiet the rest of the night, everyone sleeping soundly on their mats or in their hammock. Depa, on the other hand, was again having hard time falling asleep. Mostly, she was patient, but every since Kanan said he had a message for her, she wanted to know. She felt like Demira, eager for what's coming. "Like Master, Like Padawan." 10 years training the girl and she had almost completely rubbed off on the Jedi master. Depa quickly sat up on her hammock and quietly got off. Her bare feet hit the ground without a sound. She put on her boots and her robe and tip toed to the tarp door. As she opened it to walk out, the light of the three moons shown into the dark hut, illuminating on Hera and Sabine in their sleeping mats. They slightly stirred but never woke. However, even though the light never shown on her, the Force did cause Demira to wake. Her eyes flashed open, and she looked up in time to see Depa walk out the tent and let the tarp door hang down again.

Holding the Holocron in hand, Depa walked to the back of the rock ledge where there was another ramp that led up to and even higher and narrower ledge. She walked up, careful not to make the wood creak as she made her way to the top. Getting there, Depa sat down crossed legged and placed the Holocron on the ground in front of her. She rested her hands on her lap and closed her eyes. She repeated the meditation she had always done to help her focus on the Force around her. The mantra much like the Jedi Code, and yet not like it at all. It was the one she had come up with herself, one she never full understood why, until she met Demira.

"Emotion, yet peace.

Ignorance, yet knowledge.

Passion, yet serenity.

Chaos, yet harmony.

Death, yet the Force."

Suddenly, the Holocron began to glow a brighter blue as it lifted up and hovered three feet off the ground. The edges turned and separated, surrounding what was left circling in the middle. Depa concentrated, sorting through the archives looking through and surprisingly new information. But there was one that stuck out, one the Force called to her the most. Is this the message she was looking for. Suddenly she heard a voice, a voice she hadn't heard in so long, it was both welcoming and heartbreaking to hear.

"This is Master Obi-wan Kenobi."

Depa opened her eyes and looked at the small hologram image of said Jedi Master coming from the Holocron. He looked exactly as how she had last seen him; young, wise, hiding the sarcastic nature of himself. Depa wanted to laugh at the memories that she and her Jedi Councilmen had shared, but the look of sadness on Obi-wan's face's made her stay quiet as she listened.

"I regret to inform that both the Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place."

Depa staid focused but she couldn't help but feel a twinge of old guilt rise once again. This message must have come right after Order 66. Sarsley destroyed her communicator to keep her from being traced by the Clones, but in doing so she never got Obi-wan's message. She could have gone to find him. She could have been there for him, for all of them. Depa shook her head, learning long ago that could never have happened. The Force had another path for her. She continued to listen.

"This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi: Trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple. That time has passed, and our future uncertain. We will each be challenged: our trust, our faith, our friendships."

As if on cue, she felt a tugging feeling to look behind her, but she ignored it as she continued to hear Obi-wan's inspiring message.

"But we must perceiver, and in time a New Hope will emerge. May the Force be with you…. Always…."

The message had ended but Depa did not have the heart to let Obi-wan's image disappear just yet. She looked back to the edge of the rock ledge where the ramp was placed. "Come on Demira…." She said to it.

A head poked up from the edge, then suddenly Demira jumped up and landed on all fours on the flat surface. Staying on all fours she walked up to Depa, but kept her eyes wide with amazement at the Holocron and Obi-wan. "Onga…."

Depa patted the flat ground next to her. "Heyn…." She said in their language.

Demira complied, sitting down cross-legged as she continued to look at the image. "What is that? Who is that?"

Depa smiled and said, "This is a Holocron, one of several million we had at the temple."

"The objects of knowledge, I remembered you told me about that once."

"I did. This is the one I gave to Caleb. He's letting me borrow it for now."

"But how can something so small…" Demira said as she reached out and gently poked one of the sharp edges, "Have so much information."

"Sometimes the biggest things come in small packages," Depa said, reaching back and stroking Demira behind the head. Demira smiled back. Depa used to say that when she was younger, but even if she was taller now they were still great words to live by. "As for how… you just have to use the Force, and you'll know."

"Can you teach me, please, please please!" Demira exclaimed as she put her hands on Depa's lap and leaned over so they almost touched noses.

Depa pushed her back gently by the shoulder and hushed her. "Shhhh, yes. Tomorrow. Right now it is late.

"If it is late, then why are you here?"

"Because Caleb said there was a message."

Demira looked at the frozen image of Obi-wan. "Is he the message?"

"Yes. This came right at the end of the Clone Wars. The time when I was in a coma…It's a message of hope…. Something I'm really grateful to have heard now more than ever." She would have to thank Kanan later.

"I heard his name… Obi-wan…. Kenobi….. You told me about him. He was on the Council with you."

"And a good friend."

"Is he alive?" Demira reached up and tried to touch the hologram, but her fingers passed through, making her squeak, get on all fours and take a step or two back. Depa assured her placing a hand on the girl's shoulder and saying, "It's a hologram. I told you about them."

"You can see, but not touch them…. Now I understand…. I think….. but I mean… is he really alive?"

Depa looked at the Holocron, then down at the ground. "I don't know. It's been so long. Much time would have passed. And by what Caleb had told me, he, Ezra, and Ahsoka are the only known Jedi to be alive." Depa felt a small tear form on her eyes. She quickly wiped it off. "If Obi-wan were alive, he would have made his presence known even before I crashed here." She looked up at Obi-wan. She would miss him dearly. She missed all of them.

"But he said other surviving Jedi…" Demira began. "… and to have hope…. Trust… faith…" Demira sat back down behind Depa and put her arms over Depa's shoulders to hang. She wanted to give Depa comfort. Depa put her hand on one arm and looked back Demira. The joy on Demira's face, and how right she was to listen to Obi-wan Kenobi even though if half of what Depa wanted to believe didn't seem possible, made her happy once more. "You're right. After all, my trust in the Force led me to you being my new Padawan."

Demira gave a giddy smile. "Teehee…."

From the ledge below, Kanan stood outside his tent. He had felt the Force shift just like Demira had to wake him up and see what was going on. But he wasn't one to disrupt like Demira. He stood below, out of sight, being able to listen to most of the conversation. Especially the end. It wasn't the idea of Obi-wan being alive or not. That he had always thought about from time to time as well. Depa did understand the message, but when it came to Kenobi she felt like there was no hope in seeing other surviving Jedi. Demira was right there to pick her up again. Kanan wondered if it was a good idea to be over confident of such an idea, and not just for Depa's sake.

It was unusual for him. Never had he been so worried for Depa. Why? Was it Demira?

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 **A.N: Kanan getting more jelly. Since creating this AU I wanted to always see Depa's reaction to Obi-wan's message. I hope I did well. And Demira understands not only more what Holcrons are, but the messages they hold. Also I had to use her mantra from the comics on here at least once. So since we're getting back to the wing of things, tell me how you guys thought of the chapter, tell me your Rogue One views, Rebels expectations for the rest of the season? Keep them coming. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	16. Ch 15: Training Begins

**A.N: I'm sorry. I was going to update as soon as I got back from Mexico but personal shit literally happened once I stepped back home and I just couldn't deal, and then add I got my wisdom teeth out. I have to thank fanfiction and Star Wars Rebels for keeping me same. Posting this before I see the new episode today but I can't wait for Saw Gerrera and Obiwan!**

 **Retokill: Chirrut's mantra is my motto! And yes, I was in tears after everyone's death, starting with Saw Gerrara. YES! And Chopper was in Rogue also! Um, I can't remember witch issue but it was the second half of the series for sure.**

 **Teenylambofgod: She and Obiwan were bro's, that's my head canon. And don't forget that message is now important because OBIWAN IN SEASON 3 HYPE! It took me three days after it came out to read the novel. Did you like it? I loved it!**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 15: Training Begins**

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It was quiet in the village as the sun began to rise over the jungle horizon and giving some light into the canyon. One by one families walked out of their huts and began their day. In Depa and Demira's hut, the Jedi, including Sabine and Hera lay sleeping still. That is until Demira's eyes fluttered open and she looked around her surroundings. Seeing the light from outside seep through the cracks of the wooden hut, she smiled and sat up on her hammock.

Stretching her arms and yawning, she mentally prepared herself for the regular routine. She looked at Depa who was still sleeping on her hammock. It wasn't unusual for Depa to sleep in at this time, but the routine always demanded Demira to walk Depa up. She froze, sensing an unusual but familiar presence in the hut, and looked down and saw Hera and Sabine sleeping. She relaxed, remembering all that had happened in the last two days. When she remembered about the Holocron, she got even more excited for the routine of the day. And she got more excited to wake Depa up. She got off her hammock and skillfully jumped and clung to one of the post. Looking at Depa, the girl aimed herself… and jumped.

Everyone in Kanan's tent was still sleeping. Even Chopper had powered himself down. Zeb on one mat was snoring loudly while Ezra next to him on another mat slept spreed out and one hand over his eyes while he drooled. They then heard a loud, "AH! DEMIRA!" from next door. Zeb and Ezra slightly stirred but Kanan, having felt a sharp pain through his connection with Depa, quickly shot up from his mat and looked in the direction from where the cry came from. It was now followed by laughter. Kanan huffed.

Back in the hut, Depa tried to get Demira to stop laughing. It had already been enough the girl had woken her up by jumping on top of her and even throwing them both of her hammock. Now Depa had to make sure the guest didn't wake up. Unknown to her, Hera and Sabine had woken up with the ruckus, but one look from Hera to Sabine and they both knew they had to stay quiet. They didn't want Depa to feel bad, so they stayed laying down.

Demira put her hand over her mouth as Depa hissed, "How many times must I say; wake me up with a nudge."

"That barely works," Demira whispered back. "Jumping on you is fun, too."

"Right," Depa said rolling her eyes and rubbing her head.

"Come, come, teach me how to use the Holocron…" Demira tried to say without raising her voice with excitement.

"I thought you were waking me up for training, as you do almost every morning…."

"But the Holocron—"

"Patience is a virtue…."

"A Jedi must have, I know, but…oh…. Ok…" Then she Depa a pleading look and said, "Can we do training."

Depa hadn't planned to wake up for training due to having guests. But since they didn't look like they would wake up anytime soon, "Oh all right."

Demira giggled and clapped her hands lightly. Then she maneuvered on all fours around the hut, grabbing her spear, her belt, and her lightsaber. Demira ran out of the hut, planning to just get out and jump over the edge of the rock ledge. She had always done that, that is until she saw what was outside the tent next door. She stopped right on the edge as she spotted Kanan meditating right at the edge of the rock as well. She turned to look at him, curiously. He opened one eye to look at her.

That's when Depa came out of the hut, dressed in her Jedi Robe and holding staff and saber in hand. She saw Kanan and smiled. "Well, I see you still like to wake up to meditation."

"Every now and then, master."

"We're still learning too," Depa said put a hand on Demira. The girl knew Depa was specifically talking about her and frown, looking at Kanan was slight jealousy. Then Depa said, "At least Demira has the enthusiasm to train as you did. Probably more, this ball of energy—" She rubbed Demira's hair in a playful manner. The girl giggled.

Kanan frowned and then felt movement from behind him. He looked back in time to see Ezra walk out of the tent, putting on his vest on his suite and then groggily rubbing his eyes. He yawned, "Good… yawww… morning."

Kanan raised an eyebrow and said, "Well, for us, we're a little bit slow in the morning."

"Huh?" Ezra said, now becoming more alert. "What?"

"We're training," Demira said excited.

"Now?" Ezra asked shocked.

Depa explained, "We go every morning—Oh—You know what, would you like to join us?"

The idea of training with Depa made Kanan very excited. He would train alongside his master, and it would feel like old times. He and Ezra can even learn things that Depa hadn't been able to teach Kanan when he was a Padawan. He got up on his feet and said, "I'm up for it—"

"Yes," Demira said excited, interrupting Kanan, She ran to Ezra and tugged him by the arm. "Come, come…"

Suddenly Kanan had is doubts. After all, Demira had more years of training with Depa then Kanan had. How would he fair during this training with her around? Demira pulled Ezra to the edge of the rock ledge and let go of him so that she jumped off herself. Kanan and Ezra watched wide eyed as she landed in a role and then up onto her feet expertly. Kanan was quiet, but Ezra became determined. "All right, my turn!" He jumped off, slightly feeling his heart skip a beat at the feeling of falling. Then, like Demira, he landed in a role and got up on his feet. Demira jumped up and down clapping, and then grabbed Ezra by the arm again and pulled him into a run with her.

Depa motioned for Kanan to follow her down the ramp. "Well take a calmer route."

"Let me get our lightsabers first."

Taking Depa and Demira's creatures, they went out through the waterfall. Riding on Sar Sar with Demira, Ezra kept on trying to adjust his position on the Kuri. Kanan was doing fine on Bele's back, letting Depa take full control of the ride. When they got to the other side and to shore with the heard of Farasi, Demira and Depa slid off their creatures. Kanan jumped off and landed perfectly but when Ezra did he splashed up mud on the river shore and I splattered on Demira. The girl giggled and jumped, splashing some on him. The two began to laugh, kicking up mud on each other, almost getting it on their masters. Depa called for them, "Come on you two, let's get moving." As Demira followed Depa, Ezra went to Kanan and looked at him. His arms were crossed. "What?" Ezra asked.

Instead of taking them to where the ship was, Depa led them alongside the canyon edge. The top of the canyon rose as they got farther away from the waterfall. A soon as the canyon on their side was just as high as the one on the other side of the river, Depa and Demira took Kanan and Ezra into the jungle. Only a few more minutes and they reached a clearing walking in the earth felt like it had sunk well bellow the ground level of the jungle. "We've done our morning routines, so let's get started." Depa said. The creatures laid down at the top of the clearing, watching as the Jedi began training. Kanan and Ezra put their lightsabers in training mode, then Kanan grabbed a few rocks and threw them at Ezra. Demira watched as Ezra got every single on, letting the rocks fall into two pieces. The girl cocked her head to the side in curiosity. Depa tapped her staff on the ground, getting Demira's attention. When the girl looked back, the master said, "Everyone starts their own way, Demira."

Kanan began to slowly throw the rocks now, becoming more intent on listening to Depa. Ezra noticed, his attention wavering a bit. Demira and Depa stood next to each other, staff and spear in hand. Depa and Demira closed their eyes and moved their hand around in a wave like motion. Their weapons in their other hand would spin around in motion to their meditative dance. Seeing nothing like this before, Kanan and Ezra became distracted. The man threw the rock without looking and hit Ezra in the eye. "Ow!" he held his eye and dropped the aim of his lightsaber down. Kanan rubbed the back of his neck and gave a sheepish look. "Sorry."

Demira stifled her laughter in the middle of her meditative dance. Depa opened one eye and moved her staff around her gracefully so that it hit Demira in the head. "Ow!" Demira yelped, rubbing her head.

"No making fun."

"Sorry," She said.

"No worries," Ezra assured her with a wave of his hand, "How about we watch you train first? They way you do it is really new to me."

Kanan was going to agree. When he was just a Padawan, Depa began with simple lightsaber moves, not meditative dances. But he was quiet, wondering if Ezra said that because he was bored on how the regularly trained. Depa said, "All right, we were just finishing our first step of the warm up."

Ezra sat down happily while Kanan did so but slowly. Demira held her spear tightly in hand while Depa held her staff ready behind her back. Demira stepped forward making one move and using the bottom end to go for Depa's face. Depa spun her staff quickly so it stopped in a vertical position right in front o her face, blocking the attack. Then the warm up began to escalate. Form III was there, Kanan could see it. they took turns being the attacker so the other could practice their defenses. Towards they end Depa and Demira weren't holding back. Demira flipped over Depa, using her spear to pole vault her into the air and then swinging it in an arc to get Depa on the head. The master ducked by rolling onto the ground and then coming to halt on one knee. But Demira had seen it coming. When she landed, she landed in a crouch and then did a somersault backward so that she landed behind Depa who had just kneeled. She looked back, seeing her Padawan standing tall and point a spear to her back. "Hah!" She chirped, "Oe nia nga set!"

"Did you see how quick she was?" Ezra whispered excited, nudging Kanan on the side. Kanan nodded. Demira was quicker then Depa, almost literally thinking on her feet. When she moved she was on her toes, Depa had to try and keep using the momentum she built.

Depa, though, was just a bit cleverer. She had her hand not holding her staff slide unnoticed towards her hip. Kanan smiled. Demira stepped back as a lightsaber moved in an arc in front of her, almost catching her in the chest. Demira got into a defensive stance as she watched Depa stand up with her lightsaber in practice mode and stabbing her staff into the ground. "Training begin…."

Demira smirked and pulled hers out in practice mode as well and letting her spear fall to the ground. Depa leaned on her back leg as her front was set forward, her lightsaber over her head pointing at Demira. Demira did the same, before using her back foot to thrust her forward. She and Depa blocked each other attacks from all directions, backwards, forwards, the sides, up and down… Demira spun on her toes making a full 360 with her lightsaber. Depa spun around her, going the opposite way to get to an exposed area in the back. Demira ducked, and tried to swipe her foot under Depa but Depa jumped over, coming down with her lightsaber. Demira put her up in time to block it. Demira struggled to get up, pushing with all her might. Depa took the chance, stepping back so that the force Demira put forward made her fall to the floor on her back. Depa put her lightsaber so that it was pointed at Demira's face. "I got you now, too," Depa said with her head held high. "Make sure you're balanced on both side when you don't have the higher ground."

Ezra sat back, "Really though Demira had it."

Kanan whispered to Ezra, "Make sure to focus on Depa's side of the training."

"Yes Master," Demira said to Depa as she laid there, resting an elbow on the ground as her chin rested on the palm of her hand. Then she saw a pebble in front of her and smirked. Demira pointed at it with one finger and with the Force, lifted it up in front of her. Ezra laughed while Kanan huffed. She barely needed to focus or even look at the pebble so that she let it fly and hit Depa in the forehead, "Ak—Demira—"

"Never let your guard down," Demira said, rolling onto her back and then throwing her feet back so that she moved into a crouch position in on all fours.

"Oh… I see…" Depa said coyly. She turned around to walk away, that is until she reached out with her hands so that her staff flew into her hands. Much like Demira; she didn't need focus. She just did it and this time, it looked like she didn't do it. Spinning her staff and without touching the ground, she had the Force with her staff kick up a cloud of dust into Demira's face. Kanan was impressed at this move.

"Eyyy Eyyy!" Demira cried, closing her eyes. She stepped back on all fours. Then she did something that had both Kanan an Ezra shocked to the core. Demira put her hands on the ground, and looked at Depa with confidence. The ground suddenly shifted beneath Depa and the Jedi master fell on her bottom.

Kanan gasped, "How…"

Depa put a hand up towards a tree overhead and motioned her hand down. Two vines came down wrapping themselves around Padawan. Demira gave a yelp of surprise as she was pulled off the ground and into the air. Ezra said, "They're so… cool!"

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 **A.N: Did I somehow compare Jedi to Benders and came up with the idea they could use the elements around them to fight? Hey, Filoni worked once on ATLAirbernder he's bound to do it on Rebels sooner or later if he already hasn't. I'm not pushing the rivalry too much on Kanan and Demira, am I? Ezra seems to be enjoying it all though, though I don't think he'll wake up anybody like Demira does anytime soon lol. So what else do these powerful girl power duo have up their sleeve? I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	17. Ch 16: Practice Rounds

**A.N: Hey so school started, I hate 3D so far but what ya** gunno **do, right? But hey Rebels! Zeb got some killer screen time, my precious** Lasat **child I love him. Also internships, whoop!**

teenylambofgod **: Ok,** becuase **the rivalry gets good from here. Yeah, Rebels is Disney XD, so hope you see it soon.** Obiwan **, yes! The Ahsoka novel had it's sweet moments.**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

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 **Chapter 16: Practice Rounds**

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Only a few moments after the Jedi had gone from the Village, the rest of the crew got up. The Chief had greeted them, seeing them confused as to where they had gone. "It's early, so I know where they've gone," He said with a smirk. "Follow me." Taking them through the waterfall by canoe back to the other side. He lead them through the jungle until they reached a deep clearing where it sounded like the earth was cracking and shaking. When they got there, they were meet with an unbelievable sight.

Demira used the Force to let the vines tangling around her legs to let her go. She twisted in the ground and landed on her feet on the ground. With one move she moved her arms left, then right so that the momentum spun her to face Depa. The move had the Force take a rock only bigger than her head flew in the Jedi Master's direction. Depa stayed stationed, standing straight and closing her eyes. Her arm flew up with a closed fist. Then she spread out her fingers apart just as the rock came close enough. The rock shattered and bits of it dispersed in the air, like an exploding star.

"Nice!" Ezra yelled excited.

Depa then spun her staff to hold with her outstretched hand so that her other flew forward using the Force to push Demira. The girl was flown back and tumbled to the ground. Mid tumble Demira maneuvered herself to turn so that when she hit a tree, she planted her feet on the trunk. She did another flip so that she went up higher the trunk. She clung to it, hands and knees, upside down. Then she pushed forward, using the Force for speed to fly with outstretched hands. Depa saw it all too fast for her to stop. Demira collided with her, grabbing her master by the arms and then tumbling to the ground with her. They rolled together until Demira slowed them to a stop, pinning Depa down on her back. Depa then blew in her face, creating gust of wind with the Force that blew Demira off Depa.

"Woah!" Kanan exclaimed

Demira was up in the air, a couple of feet, until going back down on the ground. Demira landed on all fours and she watched Depa cautiously. Depa stood up with the help of her staff and then looked up. She saw among the tree line of the clearing, Chief was there with Sabine, Zeb, Hera, and Chopper. The crew had their mouths open, looking as if their jaws could hit the floor any moment. The Chief looked at them and started to chuckle. Demira looked at Kanan and Ezra, watching and as flabbergasted as their crewmates. Noticing they were just sitting there, Demira stood up and said, "Hey! Want to train—with us this time?"

"Um—" Kanan began.

"Yeah!" Ezra got up and ran to Depa. "What do you want me to do?"

"Let's see you each do two moves on each other, and then we'll see how the other responds. From there we will learn."

As Depa walked to the side of the clearing, Ezra whispered to Demira, "I thought she was going to teach me how do you like… you know… move rocks around."

"Depa likes it when we start learning new moves by making our own mistakes and learning from the other's mistake."

"All right," Depa said from sitting down next to Kanan. "Ezra you start."

"All right…" Ezra said, slowly pulling out his lightsaber. Holding it to his side as he turned it on on practice mode, Demira got into a defensive position as if holding a lightsaber, but she held none. She didn't even have her spear in hand. Ezra was confused, wondering how he would fight her if she beared no arms. But he looked at Depa who waited patiently. Seeing Kanan was just as confused as him, so he felt a little better and started. He swung his saber high but stopped midway to fake it before swinging low. Demira ducked down, real low, looking as if she had gotten into a push-up. They froze.

"Demira, your turn," Depa said.

In the blink of an eye, Demira jumped up from her push-up position so that she stood on one foot. Sensing she would use the other one to get him in the gut, Ezra took a step back. She did kick up her foot to aim fro him, but seeing as he had sensed it, Demira continued. She let her foot swing her around so that her arm came around. She kept her palms open… and slammed it into his forehead. Zeb stifled a laughed watching Ezra stumble back a little. Focused back on the training, Ezra made his move. He wanted to try and surprise her with a move he had never done before. Not exactly his brightest idea.

He wanted to try and use the elements. He tried to get the vines from the tree overhead that Depa used earlier. He only managed to pull them down and let them drape around Demira as if she were wearing a ton of green scarves. Kanan winced. He knew his Padawan was trying something new and couldn't blame him, but he still wished he would have done something else, especially since now it was Demira's move. Ezra's eyes widened as Demira, without using anything but her hands, grabbed the vine and threw the end so that it lassoed around Ezra' left ankle. She pulled hard and he went down.

"Excellent progress," Depa said. "Demira, earlier he expected your kick, make sure to be unexpected the first time, not the second."

"Yes, Master," Demira bowed her head.

Depa looked at Kanan. Though Demira got the upper hand fairly, he wished she wasn't a show off by not using the Force or her weapon. He said, "Nice try Ezra. You read her moves right. Make sure not to get ahead of yourself, though. We'll work together on using the elements." He then said to Depa, "It would be great if you can help."

"But of course."

Then it was Depa and Kanan's turn against each other. Depa left her staff where she sat earlier and now stood in the middle of the clearing holding her lightsaber. She said to Kanan in front of her, "Feels like yesterday we were at the Temple training grounds. Especially the hills of Kaller after the battle…"

"You gave me a lesson of peace in mind."

Depa smiled, "You had so much on your head."

Kanan turned on his lightsaber, "Hopefully my mind has become clearer."

"I believe it has," Then she got into her battle pose, "But let's test that out."

Kanan nodded, standing straight and activating his lightsaber, but Depa Billaba wasted no time. Kanan figured though she would make the first move. It began with a series of attacks aimed for the least vital parts of the body. Ezra and Demira noticed these were all basic attacks they were taught in the first place. "Are they going easy on each other?" Ezra asked. Demira shrugged her shoulders. At one point, Depa and Kanan realized they weren't going to get the upper hand by sticking to a few simple moves, so Kanan was the first to try something. He stepped to the side and spun around toe try and get Depa from the back. Depa stood straight, back to him, but maneuvered her lightsaber at and angle block the attack to her back. She never in looked, Kanan was stunned. He shouldn't have ben though, this was Depa Billaba after all. He decided to surprise her now. He moved his foot forward so that it was between her two feet, then he swiped it left. Her left foot was kicked up, and on instinct she moved her balance to her right foot to keep from falling over. He expected that. He kicked the back of her knee so that it was forced to bend and have her go down. Depa landed on her side, but she lifted her lightsaber up. Kanan stood over her pointing his lightsaber down. He had the higher ground.

"All right Kanan!" Ezra cheered. At this point, the crew had sat down at the edge of the clearing, not at all surprised at the outcome. Kana was a good fighter. The chief, sitting next to them, gave an impressed nod. Demira however, became a bit anxious. It took Demira a while to learn how to beat Depa in practice, and here was Kanan, having not dueled with his master in over ten years and he managed to get the best of her. She became more worried as Depa sat up, crossing her legs and looked at Kanan, saying, "Your focus has improved but still waver. Yet your cleverness exceeds."

Like an angered animal, Demira let a growl rise in her throat and her eyes narrow a little. Depa always commented on her cleverness, but she had to earn it. How did Kanan get it much quicker? Ezra heard her growl and looked at Demira surprised. "You ok?"

Demira let the growl cease and her eyes widened. Back to her curious glances, she said, "Oh um, fine, just got something in my throat um—Depa!"

The Jedi master was standing up by the time her Padawan called. "Yes?"

"Can I try?"

"Against Kanan?"

Demira nodded with glee. Depa's eyebrow raised in question. Was she wanting to learn how to fight against someone like Kanan? Kanan himself was asking that but he didn't mind. After all, he had been out in the galaxy fighting real battles and real enemies. They were quick, making unexpected moves. So he was ready for anything new that the girl had learned in her last ten years. Depa went to sit next to Ezra, the two a bit nervous. Ezra was still wondering why Demira's attitude had suddenly changed a few moments ago. Depa, on the other hand, wondered what was Demira' goal here. Was she looking for a challenge, or was she just excited to practice in a way she never did before.

Demira maneuvered her lightsaber around her fist, adding flare to her preparation as she held it in both hands in ready. Kanan stayed focused. At the same time, standing across from one another, Demira and Kanan put on foot forward and leaned on their back foot. They held their lightsabers over their heads and pointed them towards the other. Then they both went forward at each other. They clashed lightsabers, trying to push against each other. With every step forward, Demira pushed Kanan back, his feet skidding on the grass. For a second, Kanan felt a little worried, thinking he was easily going to be beat right there. He re-centered himself, moved his right shoulder in to add more thrust forward. Now Demira was the one who was getting pushed back. Demira struggled, her eyes widened and she looked at Kanan. He looked focused, but even Demira could see a hint of something else in his eyes; enjoyment. Demira's narrowed.

She closed her eyes, her fingers loosened a little her grip on her lightsaber. Kanan thought she was losing strength, but in fact, she was collecting the Force in that small space between them. She then spread out her hands all of a sudden, and though she had left herself exposed, the Force somehow expanded between them, creating a field that pushed her and Kanan back. Demira landed on her feet as Kanan had to land on both hands and feet to keep himself from going down all the way. Ezra gasped, "Cool…"

Kanan heard this put kept his eyes trained forward at the girl who stood tall and proud, ready. Sure Demira got the upper hand fairly, but he didn't want his own Padawan getting any ideas of showing off. Kanan sprint forward, swiping left and right, but Demira jumped a couple feet back every time. Then she jumped back, putting extra spring into to do a summersault. Kanan jumped up high to come down on her, keeping her from jumping back again. Kanan's lightsaber hit nothing and he looked around, wondering where she went. A leaf suddenly glided gently down in front of him. He looked up, only in time to see Demira hang her legs onto the branch of a tree to swing herself down with her lightsaber. Kanan ducked, getting down into a push-up position and rolling to the side. He stood up, away from under the tree branch to look up at Demira swing herself up, flipping in the air before landing safely on the branch.

The crew was on edge, the fight getting very interesting and more intense than the previous practices. The Chief scratched his chin pensively. He saw the look on Demira's face. The need to beat Kanan. But for what?

Kanan used the Force to push her off and she did. Midair she called on the vines of a nearby try to her. They came and wrapped around her free hand. It went taught, forcing her to come back the other day and swing towards Kanan. Kanan thought she would let go and come straight like a dart towards him. At the last second, he swung his lightsaber forward as she let go of the vine. She curved up and over him landing on his shoulders and using him like a springboard. Kanan was surprised, but he kept himself rooted. As Demira landed behind him, she spun to use her lightsaber but he blocked it, shoving it away. He then raised his lightsaber up and brought it down. Demira faced forward and blocked the attack. Kanan maneuvered his wrist so that his lightsaber went one way then the other at and angle, trying to catch Demira off guard. The girl managed to keep up, struggled a little to mirror his lightsaber movement to block the attacks.

Feeling over-whelmed, Demira jumped to the side then stepped around him. He followed her and tried to come forward but when Demira turned around, she had her lightsaber come up in an arc, kicking up dirt from the ground and creating a cloud of debris. It got into Kanan's eyes, making him yell in surprise and try and rub it off. She looked at Kanan now as he held his hand up in front of him as if he was trying to feel around him. Demira raised up a hand, getting ready to use the Force on Kanan as he was temporarily blinded. But Kanan felt something, Depa's force signature exhibited a sudden air of shock, he felt it might because Demira was about to make her next move. He reached a hand up to us the Force on her. At the same time, both fighters summoned the Force to push the other and the combination made them fly so far back, they hit either side of the incline of the clearing. The impact made small crater marks where they were.

Everyone got up, thinking the fighters had gotten hurt. The crew with Ezra went over to help Kanan up while the Chief went down to help Demira. Depa went up but could only walk to the middle of the clearing. She didn't know who to go to, they were both her Padawans. All she could do was ask from her spot, "Are you both all right?"

"I'm all right Master." Kanan had stood up with the others around, finally wiping the last of dust and debris out of his eyes.

"Yes, all right." Demira agreed. Btu between the two of them, it was far from ok. They looked at each other realizing how far they had gone in the practice. They did feel bad about it by doing it in front of their friends and teacher, but there was a much stronger feeling growing between them. Jealousy. This fight showed to each of them the other wasn't happy about the situation with the other. Since the crew first met her, Kanan felt Demira was too crazy, to unstable, for Depa. She was immature when Depa asked for the littlest's of favors or gave light-hearted comments. Ever since the gathering last night, Demira felt Kanan was taking much of Depa's attention, trying to show off his obedience. This fight was an outlet for each other.

The others didn't see that, or at least not all of them. "That was awesome!" Ezra said excited, pumping both fists in the air. "You guys were everywhere!" Zeb and Sabine joined in commenting on Kanan's skills, Hera and Chopper though noticed that Kanan was still recovering from the fight. Demira felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at the Cheif, seeing his face full of worry. Demira assured him with the Tribe's sign of gratitude; placing two fingers on her forehead and moving it down to her side in an arc motion. The Chief tried to give some sort of relief by saying out loud, "How about we do lunch. The Tribe is gathering not far away."

"Yes, let's," Depa agreed. As everyone moved up the steep sides of the clearing, Kanan and Demira walked alongside each other. With only the corner of their eyes, they looked at each other with a glare.

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 **A.N: I know that's not how visions work, considering Depa won't be there to see Maul blind Kanan, but after coming up with that move I just had to. Anyway, looks like true rivalry has begun. Some see it and some don't. Will Depa figure out soon her padawans aren't getting along? Like the fight scenes? I came up with a lot of the moves and some I used references, it's a good mix. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	18. Ch 17: Afternoon Talk

**A.N: Think there's too much interaction then action? Well, you'll change your mind at the end of this chapter. Women's March was fun, and that freAKIN NEW REBELS EPISODE SOMEONE GIVE SABINE A FUCKING DAMN HUG JFC AND HIATUS WHY?!**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

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 **Chapter 17: Afternoon Talk**

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A clearing outside the village home beyond the waterfall, not far from Depa and Demira's training ground, stood calm. There was slight noise here in there. Groups of tribe members were dispersed around the grassy plain. Women talked among themselves, making crafts out of the nearby flora. Men were either guarding the area around or in their own groups as well. They mumbled amongst each other or swapped stories, making large gestures, laughing. Children ran around, playing among the reeds, kicking a rubber ball around, and flying around toys made of dried leaves.

Sitting in a circle eating from a basket of fruit given to them, the crew, the Chief, Depa, and Demira ate their share. Trying to instill some sort of peace that had come up in the practice, the Chief said, "Quit the training session, though I've seen much crazier."

"You're referring to the storm of leaves Demira and I did the first time using the elements." Depa gave the Chief a raised eyebrow. Demira just laughed.

The Chief continued, "I'm just saying, you've both have come quite a long way. We will find your Mark of Place soon." He looked at Demira.

The girl's smile faltered a little. She was not expecting the last comment. The Chief realized it was a mistake but he didn't respond quicker then Sabine, "Oh, Demira talked about that earlier. Chapas, I think? It's like a right of passage for your people."

"Yes," The Chief very pleased.

"But wait, you guys said Demira needs to earn her Chapa," Ezra stated, then looked at Demira. "Didn't you say that?"

Demira bit her lips nervously, so Depa explained, "There are two Marks. The green lines on the checks of teens and adults are the Mark of the Tribe they earn when they were younger. They are loyal to it." Demira heard rustling from above, seeing some of the younger children climbing the trees nearby and hanging on from the branches.

The Chief continued the conversation. "The second is the Mark of Place in the Tribe, or simply… our Center." He motioned to the tattoos covering almost his entire body.

Zeb then quoted what Demira had said yesterday, "Warriors, gatherers… the different skills the Tribe contributes to."

"Exactly. Since I am Chief I must represent all my people, but my people must represent one Center of their choosing."

"So what's the problem?" Hera asked, confused as to what Ezra had asked earlier.

"Well," Ezra began, "Demira said she has the Tribe Mark, and she and Depa got it at the same time, right Demira—wait, what?" He noticed the girl had suddenly disappeared. "Where did she go?"

The crew looked around, trying to find her, then heard laughing from above. They saw the girl swinging from branch to branch with the other children, seeing how much fun she was having. "The topic is sort of… sensitive to her," Depa said.

"Why?" Sabine asked. "She seemed fine talking about her Mark yesterday."

"It's not the Tribe Mark, but it is the Center that worries her. There are many reasons why she won't be able to get her Center. There really is no rush for me. I wasn't raised by the Tribe. But Demira, she needs to chose soon. A ceremony will be held very soon, that's when the Tribe members ready to make their Center announce what they will do for the future of the Tribe."

"So the problem is she doesn't have one in mind?" Sabine continued.

"No, the problem is that she is very good at all of them, but can't find her fit" The Chief answered her. "You've all seen how energetic she can be, so to have it all go through one task is hard."

"If she needs an outlet, can't Jedi training help in that?"

"Yes, but she will have to put more of her time on her task than on Jedi training. Knowing Demira though, she'll be more ambitious to continue her training and leave her task."

Kanan looked up at Demira in the trees. Kanan understood that the lack of Jedi training would seem undesirable, but could she at least try to give some sort of priority to her Tribe. She was raised by them after all. They cared for her. Even Depa said Demira should choose. Did this girl not learn to listen and understand?

Kanan's thoughts drifted, which made it difficult to remember for him what happened next in the conversation. Hera asked, "What do her parent say?"

Depa and the Chief quickly looked at each other stunned. Then they looked away, the Chief rubbing the back if his neck nervously while Depa looked down and closed her eyes. Then Depa said, "That's one other more important reason why it may be hard to get her Center. But it is not our place to tell. Only Demira's if she wishes."

Zeb, Sabine, Hera, and Ezra looked at each other, worried. Did her parents not agree? Did they know? Suddenly it came to them quickly. They had not seen or heard of her parents until now. Were they… not here? A range of emotions were felt, mostly along the lines of sadness and sympathy. Ezra knew what it was like to loose family, Zeb his whole clan. Sabine and Hera had their differences with family, but they still cared for their family.

"All we can say is…" The Chief began, "Her parents were Nomads, so since she has the blood of a Nomad in her veins. They are ever moving and are loose in ritual, making them separate from us. Demira, though raised Zuri will find it hard proving her worth to choose a Center. It was hard enough to get acceptance for the Mark of the Tribe. Family is important to us. If we do not understand family, then one can't be part of the Tribe. Without her parents, Demira had a hard time growing up. But when Depa came Demira finally came to understand family and displayed love and loyalty, and she received her Mark."

Chopper noticed Kanan giving a blank stare, showing signs that he wasn't paying attention. The droid reached a robotic hand over and slapped his shoulder. Kanan slightly jumped, but quickly kept his composure to not show he wasn't paying attention earlier. He came back in time to see Zeb and Ezra get up all of a sudden.

Demira had been sitting up on a branch, not even half way up the tree, watching the group bellow still sitting and talking. She knew Depa told them more about the restrictions on her Mark. Depa wouldn't tell them everything, though. Depa was good that way. But Demira knew Depa would want her to say something if the time came for her to say the whole truth about her parents. But If Depa accepted Demira, knowing fully well where she came from, then these people will still accept her, too. But now that Demira felt Kanan was vying for Depa's attention, she wasn't so sure. Demira saw him watching her, judging her, and she tried to ignore it, like she ignores most problems. When he finally looked away, she continued to climb up the tree.

She only got half way up until she heard someone call her. "Demira!" She looked down to see Ezra and Zeb standing at the foot of the tree.

After hearing about Demira's parentage, the crew felt compelled to let the girl know she wasn't alone. Ezra and Zeb were especially curious as to how well she climbed the tree without even slipping or looking at the branch she was going for. She always looked forward. "Can you teach me how to get up there?"

"Um, sure!" She said, forgetting her worries. Quickly she jumped down to the lowest branch and then to the ground. "Grab with your hands and use your movement to swing you up." To demonstrate, she did just that. Sitting on the branch she said, "Come on!"

Ezra did that, but ended up swinging onto his stomach and not a sitting position. Feeling a little bit of air leave him, he said struggling, "Oof—ugh, ca—can we try that again?" Demira giggled and they did it again.

Sabine watched, enjoying the fun. "I'm not saying he'll fall. He's not that clumsy anymore."

"But," Hera began.

"He's still gonna slip."

Hera shook her head. Ezra got the hang of adjusting his agility from branch to branch. But not as a whole. He still wasn't fast enough. He noticed Demira had gone half way up already, and how she had done it amazed him. "It's like you know where the branch is without looking for the next one."

"Here's a secret, fro, one Force Sensitive to another, I do know." Demira touched the trunk of the tree. "The Force is everywhere, the All Mother lives in all. Feel her presence in the elements, and soon, you will be one with her. She will guide you to the top." Demira then began to jump from branch to branch without stopping. When the girl got to the top, Demira said to Ezra a couple branches down, "Soon you will learn, no worries."

"Considering it just takes the Force, I bet I can handle it," Ezra said with confidence.

Zeb smirked, looked at the group behind him and wiggled his eyebrows. Ezra was about to grab another branch when something large, purple and green, whizzed by him. "Woah!"

Demira looked down, seeing Zeb jumping and swing from branch to branch. He went up so fast he was almost a blur. She was especially intrigued when Zeb held onto the last branch, swung, and used his dexterous toes to swing him up and sit on the branch next to Demira. The girl clapped, "Wow!"

Zeb called down, "Hey, kid! Still think you just need to use the Force?"

Ezra let his side rest against the trunk, and with arms crossed mumbled, "Shut up, furball." He really wasn't angry, though. Kanan always told him that learning took time. So all in all, Ezra was enjoying it. He hadn't had this much fun with the Force. The things he could do… he smiled.

Zeb continued to chuckle at his earlier comment, that is until he noticed the group wasn't the only one to see him go up. Many of the men and guards, especially the ones who were whispering about him last night by the bonfire, seemed to look at him in awe.

Demira explained, "Not everyone can learn, or even move as fast as you. They like you.

"It was an exercise the Honor Guard did back in the days of Lasan. Even kits climbed the trees of the forest for fun."

"We climb trees to prepare our warriors, too. You can be a great addition to our people." Zeb smiled. Looking down at the men, warriors, he suddenly realized he hadn't felt this proud of being a model to a group of strong fighters since before the fall of Lasan. Of course finding Lirasan was one of his greatest achievements, but he always welcomed the feeling of being a leader again.

Sabine watched the boys and Demira, laying back on the ground and putting her hands behind her head to relax. She felt like they hadn't had a good time like this in a while. It felt so nice and peaceful. She was so used to fighting, but she could learn to enjoy this time with the peaceful Tribe. Hera came over to Kanan, sitting down next to him and saying, "Calmer now?"

"Yeah."

"You better be."

Kanan knew that she had an idea of what was going on between then. She was telling him to learn to get along with Demira. Hopefully it wasn't because of what Depa said now, because he missed half of it. But he wasn't the only one with problems. "How are you doing?" He asked. "Still nervous about the fleet?"

Hera blinked. She had almost forgotten about the Rebellion. She had gotten so lost in this world, even though she had almost rejected it earlier due to its simple ways. But suddenly, she felt like now… there was no need. She saw the people all around, getting by without such advancements. They were happy, and she felt their happiness. She leaned her head onto Kanan's shoulder and relaxed, "I'm a bit worried, but they heard us. They'll be here."

Depa left the Chief, standing up and looking at the sky. The Chief knew how she felt, saying, "This moment should last forever, don't you think?" She nodded, looking over to Kanan. He felt her aura of peace and happiness, so turning around, he met her gaze with a smile. Depa returned it and replied to the Chief, "Yes."

Depa she felt an impact through the Force. It was so sudden, she almost stumbled. The Chief cried out, "Depa!" and stood up to be by her side. She stayedup on her own, letting the Chief know she could keep herself up by keeping an arm up. Everyone got up, Kanan a lot faster, to ask what the problem was. The Chief stopped asking as he felt the feeling Depa had and looked up at the sky. Then Kanan felt it too, and it was familiar. He turned around quickly to look at the sky. Ezra felt the familiarity too. Dropping down from the tree and land on the ground below before looking up. Zeb heard the commotion with his good hearing and asked, "What's going on down there?" He then looked at Demira but she never answered. In fact, she wasn't paying attention. At some point she stood up on the branch to look at the sky.

The wind began to blow a little harsher. The leaves and grass quivered, almost as if the foliage became nervous. The earth felt like it could shake at any moment, and the animals felt it's stiffness, running or flying in different directions to head into deeper terrain. Back behind the waterfall, Belle and Sar Sar gave a squawk of surprise and then flew from their nest and followed the river to the back entrance of the village. Shaman Bruton who was deeply meditating in his hut felt the feeling and his eyes shot open. The feeling that wasn't normal of the planet. Uncertainty, fear, hatred… it almost broke the peace that the planet had in the Force.

Sabine, Hera, Zeb, and Chopper didn't know what to do but look at the sky as their comrades did. A sound now became audible. Everyone could hear the distant sound of something flying. And it was getting closer. The Tribe who had come out to the clearing stopped in the middle of what they were doing and looked up. Demira jumped off the branch, and Zeb watched almost shocked as she made a free fall. But she ended up grabbing a vine. She swung on, making an arc with her momentum to bring her up into the air. She let go, falling towards the middle of a tree on the other side of the clearing. When she slammed into the trunk, she held on and began to climb up. Being that it was the tallest tree around, she thought she could get a better look of whatever was coming towards them from the top. When she got there, she stared at the clouds that scattered the sky. Was it coming from there?

A few moments of silenced passed, and then the sound became recognizable. Depa whispered, "No…"

A Tie Fighter cut through a cloud that was just above Demira, skimming over the clearing and making its signature load wind-cutting noise through air. Demira gave a yell of surprise and held on the tree as she almost fell off in shock. The Tribe people screamed, either hitting the ground for cover or huddling in groups for comfort. More and more tie fighters began to appear out of the cover of the clouds, the wind forcing Zeb to climb back down quickly. He went up to the group and said, "The Empire found us!"

"But here, how?" the Chief asked.

The crew couldn't bring themselves to say it. But it was obvious. The Empire had tracked them down. The Ghost Crew brought chaos to this peaceful world.

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 **A.N: Wow, ok, finally we're getting somewhere. We find out more about Demira's history and current situation, giving more reason behind her jealous actions. I realized I should have done that earlier, sorry about that guys, I waited too long. Not exactly the bets writer but I'm getting there. But I made room for some peace before reality finally showed up for them. Now what will happen? Find out next, I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	19. Ch 18: Flat Wing

**A.N: So we're getting into some major shit now. Sorry it took so long. I just really wanted to do all those fun stuff to happen first because it's drama from her on. Anyway, the Rebels hiatus withdrawel is setting in…**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 18: Flat Wings**

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Demira had hid under the cover of the leaves in the tree so that the TIE fighters couldn't see her. She could keep climbing down, but she was frozen in fear. Last time she had seen a TIE fighters, it was ten years ago, and she saw the destroy the ship Depa tried to leave in. Even though her Master survived, she had seen the damage they can do.

Depa was still on the ground with the others, watching the chaos unfold. The Tribe didn't know what to do but scream in terror and huddle with each other. The Chief asked Depa, "I need to get the Tribe to safety…."

"Get them to the cover of the jungle," Depa told him, "It should be enough."

The Chief, feeling reassured, running towards his people and calling out to them in their language. He motioned to the jungle and soon everyone had started to calm down but run as quickly as they could towards the thick forest. Women grabbed their small children while men helped usher them out of the clearing. The crew and Depa helped the Tribe get out of sight, then Zeb noticed something. "Hey, wait—Demira's still up there!"

Depa heard him and her eyes widened. She looked to the tree where Demira was hiding still. "Demira! Demira get down quickly!" She barely heard Depa, and it was mostly because the TIE fighters were too loud for her to hear anything else. Depa tired to yell louder, "Demira! Nga kin tsona—!" Depa then saw a TIE fighter come to close Demira's tree, "DEMIRA!"

The girl finally heard it, looking away but when the TIE fighter flew by it created enough wind to push Demira off and have fall. She gave a yelp of surprise but quickly focused, grabbing a vine with her feet her feet to catch a hold of it before grabbing it with her hands to keep herself from falling. The momentum forced the vine to tug, slowly her fall but then wing her around the tree before Demira felt ground beneath her feet. She let go, going into a skid on all fours before stopping. Everyone ran to her, having seen the whole thing. Depa got to her first, seeing the girl looking wide eyed and out of breath. "Demira, are you all right?"

"F-f- fine—" Demira began as Depa helped her to her feet. "The flat wings! They're back! The Empire is here!"

"I know, I know—" Depa tried to console the freaked Padawan by cupping a hand over the girl's cheek

"My people—" Demira put a hand to rest on Depa's.

"Hiding, they'll be fine."

Another TIE fighter flew by, causing the group to move to the edges of the clearing so that they wouldn't be spotted. Sabine's eyes stayed watching them, tracing a pattern. "They're trying to find us."

"No, really?" Zeb asked sarcastically.

"No that's not what I meant. Remember how instruments are disrupted by the…. Force… field of the planet? I know that when scanners are rendered useless, protocol calls for a sector sweep."

"As in by the grid?" Depa asked.

"Yes. Now look, they already passed over the clearing and they hadn't made a move to engage or to leave. They moved to just flying over the forest. That means they didn't see us or the Tribe."

"So we're safe?" Demira asked relieved.

"No… they're still here and they haven't swept the entire area, and knowing the Empire they'll search the whole planet."

"Well that's easy," Ezra said, "We wait it out in the woods, and once they clear the area we go back to the—"

"The Ghost!" Hera exclaimed.

"I was gonna say the Waterfall—"

"No, I mean they'll see the ship. It's in a clearing."

"They see the Ghost," Kanan began, "They'll know we're here—"

"Destroy the ship—" Zeb added.

"And then come after us—" Sabine added.

"And the Tribe—" Ezra said.

"No!" Demira yelled. "They will not find you, and they will not find the Tribe. We hide the ship."

"How?" Hera asked. "We barely have time to get to the ship, let alone hide it somewhere else."

"We can call the all mother, have her talk to the trees," Demira said, sounding sure of herself.

Depa smiled, the bottom of her staff hitting the ground as she said, "A canopy. Brilliant."

"What?" Ezra asked confused.

"We'll show you," Demira said.

"Yes," Depa then said to Kanan, "Well need you, too. The more the faster."

"Faster?" Kanan asked. Suddenly from above the sound of screeching was heard. Belle and Sar Sar landed in the middle of the grassy clearing and went up to their riders.

"Faster," Demira said. She went up to Sar Sar and clung onto his leg. Depa said to the others, "Find the Tribe and when you know for sure the Empire won't fly over the river make sure they get home. Kanan, Ezra, come with us."

They wasted no time. Ezra did what Demira did, clinging on to Sar Sar's other leg as Depa and Kanan grabbed on to Belle's. The creatures flew up, making their way to over the trees and towards the clearing. Being as they flew underneath the TIE fighters flight path they did not catch the pilot's attention. Even though Kanan was still wary of them, Ezra took the time to look down. He felt the wind passing by, and closed his eyes. He truly felt like he was flying with the fresh air brushing by. Ships were one thing. But feeling the air and not the feeling of constraint inside a ship felt like freedom. When he opened them, he noticed Demira was watching with a smirk. "I felt the same way the first time too."

It was interrupted when Depa yelled out through the wind, "All right, we'll need to give you a quick lesson, because once we reach the ground we need to create a canopy of trees fast."

Kanan asked, "That's what you mean by canopy? Of Trees?"

"That's using the elements," Ezra yelled back, "I didn't do so well when I tried the first time."

"What you need to do is you ground yourself, feel the presence of the Force in the trees."

"That's what I did!"

"Not quit. It's like connecting with the animals," Demira tried to explain. "At first you open yourself to them and ask for their help."

"But the trees, they can't move after-"

"That's when you give them energy," Depa said, "So that they can."

Kanan and Ezra were still slightly confused, but Kanan was a less nervous to try it then Ezra, which helped him assure his Padawan, "We can do it Ezra!"

The boy was hesitant, but nodded. The sound of TIE fighters suddenly got louder. Ezra looked back, saying, "We got five TIE's moving to a new sector to sweep; towards us."

"Thankfully we're here." Depa said as Belle and Sar Sar glided down towards the clearing, landing gently on the Ghost. The Jedi all jumped off and landed on the ship. Depa and Demira immediately closed their eyes and held up their hands toward the trees that surrounding the edge of the clearing. Kanan and Ezra did the same, remembering what Depa and Demira had said. The felt the energy coursing through trees, and did like they had done with creatures. They opened to themselves from the roots of the trees to the tips of the leaves, asking them for help. But they didn't expect the response. Just like creatures, the trees welcomed their presence and even reached out. They could swear they heard voice. As if on instinct, Kanan and Ezra gave the energy back to them, and then there the trees were in their command.

The Jedi concentrated, and soon the branches suddenly stretched out and their leaves grew wide so that they touched each other. The branches elongated almost as long as the vines that hung on them. Like a vortex the foliage above moved together in a circle one way. Making their way into the middle and covering every inch of the clearing so that no one above could see through. As soon as the canopy had come together, the TIE fighters flew over it, making the Jedi stay frozen where they were and eyes trained above. They heard the TIE fighters come by twice. The second time Demira stepped close to Depa for comfort. When the sound of TIE fighters faded, they all relaxed. The creatures became less nervous and jumped off the ship onto the ground. "That was way too close…" Kanan began as the four Jedi came together.

"But that…. Was so cool…" Ezra said almost breathlessly. "I mean look at that!" He pointed to the canopy. "I never thought it was possible…"

Kanan nodded, "They're just like any other creatures. The land lives and breathes—"

Demira was biting her lip to keep from laughing. Kanan took it offensively, giving her one raised eyebrow, but Ezra asked, "What?"

"Of course you say all that because it's always been true. The Force…. The All Mother… her life lives within all, even if they cannot speak or make a sound, or move with feet. We are all one."

Ezra was just a little too fascinated with the idea, laughing and rubbing the back of his neck trying to remember the feeling he felt earlier. But Kanan was hoping Depa could elaborate. The Master, however, had a pensive looking on her face. "Depa?" He began.

"TIE fighters can't jump into hyperspace. A Transport must have brought them here." She then put a hand on Demira's shoulder, "Steft tsaw kasat."

Demira nodded, her face full of determination as she ran down the ship to jump off. From landing in a roll on the ground, she stood up and ran to a tree. Quickly like she had down before, she climbed from branch to branch, letting them guide her to the top. Demira had disappeared through a small hole in the canopy so that she could get to the top of her tree. Demira had been gone for only a few moments, before coming back down the tree. By then Kanan, Ezra, and Depa had climbed off the Ghost and and were down bellow Demira's tree. She landed in a squat in front of them, stayed on all fours and looked up to say, "The flat wings have moved into a different…. um…. sector… but that's not the only ship into the sky. It was small… but only because it was far away, very far into the sky…. I don't know how to explain."

"Draw," Depa told her.

Immediately Demira drew something in the patch of dirt right on front of her. It only took her three lines, three connecting lines, to form a shape. But it was enough to get they hairs on their neck to stand on end. It was a triangle, the same shape of a Star Destroyer.

* * *

Back in the village, the people gathered as calmly as they could around a large wide flat ledge of rock. But still, many were loudly chatting among themselves, the one who witnessed the flyover and telling the ones who had stayed in the village. Everyone was informed. Flat wings belonging to the outside ad come to the peaceful land and All Mother was restless upon their arrival. Hera, Zeb, Sabine, and Chopper were at the edge of the gathering. Since the attack, the Zuri Tribe had been somewhat distance, especially the older ones. The younger ones were still friendly, but they had no idea what to think. They were not from Panama, the TIE fighters as well.

Soon, the Chief came up to them and said, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting here, It's just…. I couldn't find Bruton."

"At all?" Hera asked.

The Chief nodded, "As well as some of the elders, certain ones especially."

"Were they with us back at the clearing?" Sabine asked, worried they had left someone behind.

"No, they stayed here. But they are nowhere to be found. I wanted to inform them of the trouble but—"

A screech was heard from the opposite end of the water, up river. The group looked and saw from the back entrance appearing out of the brightness of the noon sky shinning through, an Akrujuri and Kurujiri came flying through. When they landed, they let their riders jump off their legs. Kanan, Depa, Demira, and Ezra ran up to them, Kanan saying, "Star Destroyer."

"What?!" Hera yelled.

Zeb muttered, crossing hiss arms. "Great, and here I was hoping it was an Imperial Transporter that brought the TIE's."

"What's the difference?" The Chief asked.

"Bigger and more gunned," Sabine answered.

"Ah... Perfect…" the Chief said sarcastically.

"That also means we won't be able to leave," Hera began. "TIE pilots did that grid sweep because they needed to find us. When they come back empty handed the Star Destroyer will stay stationed up there no matter what until we make a move."

"But they didn't find the ship, so they don't think you are here…" Demira said. "Why stay?"

"Because they do know where here. A transport means normal reconnaissance. A Star Destroyer means insurance. It's the reason they new knew to come here at all. They must have found Coryn's Rebel cell and interrogated them for info."

Depa gripped her staff tighter, whispering with worry, "Sarsley…"

"They went from the two other planets that were listed as potential bases, and found nothing."

"So Panama was the only one left…" Sabine finished.

"Hiding the ship only bought us enough time and didn't disclose or location for Empire to search," Kanan added. "But they're not leaving."

Hera's eyes widened and covered her mouth to keep from gasping outload. Everyone noticed and Kanan asked, "what is it?"

"The fleet!"

"YOU!" came a loud cry. The group and even the whole Tribe heard it, turning around to face the back of the gathering. They saw coming from around a small rock ledge was the Shaman with a group of older Tribe members following behind. They were marching to them, the Shaman much faster then the rest. "YOU BROUGH THEM HERE!" He was going straight for the closest one, Kanan. The Shaman's hands were suddenly gripping tightly onto the strap of Kanan's shoulder armor strap and pushing him back. The Jedi was too stunned to react, stepping back as the Shaman yelled in his face. "YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE, GO BACK!"

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **A.N: I think the Shaman needs to chill because boi he mad. Also, getting back to writing in Imperial and Rebel strategy is hard, I did as much research as I could and I think I did well. Anyways so the idea of the whole, All Mother and speaking to the trees, blame it on mixing the idea of the Lasat's Ashla and the Na'Vi's belief in nature has inspired me. Also, climate change is real, the enviorment needs to be protected. Yah know? I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	20. Ch 19: What To Do

**A.N: Did I tell you guys I posted a promotional poster for this story on my Devinatart. You should check it out, the link is on my profile here.**

 **Kind of quiet, huh? I guess because no Rebels episodes until this Saturday and then internships and school and yeah all the jazz. That's why I ended up coming up with a new Star Wars Rebels fanfic… Yeah… not my best way of coping with slowness lol. I'm also going to have to start updating this story every two weeks because 3D class is getting hectic. I'm still updating though.**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: What To Do**

* * *

The Ghost crew immediately went on the defense, but Depa had seen it coming first. As soon as the Shaman grabbed Kanan and screamed into his face, the Jedi Master put a hand between them and grabbed the Shaman by the color of his cape to shove him away from Kanan.

The Chief helped step Shaman back as Depa stepped in front of Kanan. The Chief tried to speak calmly in their language as the Shaman bared clenched teeth. Kanan said to Depa, "It's not his fault. He doesn't know what's going on."

The Shaman ignored the Chief's talk and said to Kanan, "I know exactly what is going on. I felt it and you know it…"

The crew looked at him a bit uncertain to what he meant. The Chief said, "Let's bring this to the Council Tent."

"What?" Hera asked.

"We need to have the elders with the leaders discuss with you the situation—" Depa began.

"No, we don't have time. The Fleet, they need to know about the Empire's presence."

The Shaman almost let his anger rise again, "You will do not such thing—"

"Bruton," Depa began sympathetically, "If their Fleet is destroyed on site, not only will many die but the crew is left stranded here. I know you don't want that."

The Shaman looked to the Chief. The Chief was going to agree to the request. The Shaman couldn't argue. There was a more pressing matter that he cared more to talk about, and he knew not letting Hera contact the Fleet would hinder that. "Go… but we are not done here."

* * *

The crew was in Depa's tent again with the transmitter and the radio. Like last time, Hera held the com, speaking through it as Sabine switched through frequencies. "This should be the frequency Phoenix Squadron is on right now,' Sabine said.

"This is Spectre 2, come in—"

Almost as soon as she began, someone with a core accent responded through static, "This is the _Relentless_ , state your call name again please?"

Everyone's eyes went wide and Hera reached for the switch to turn it off. Angrily she said, "Damn it, the Empire must be taking every chance on trying to find us by searching through every frequency to lock onto our position."

Sabine replied, "Thankfully the idiot didn't here your call sign. And besides, turning this off and with the help of the planets Force connection the Empire won't find out location."

"And the Fleet will fly in not expecting Imperials…" Zeb added.

Kanan put a hand on Hera's shoulder. But she quickly shooed it away, standing up and turning around to go out. "Let's just get the meeting over with."

* * *

A while later the Chief, Shaman, Depa, Demira, the Elders, and the crew were sitting in a circle of sitting mat in a large spacious hut made for twenty. The Shaman and Chief were in one end speaking among each other about the whole situation. The crew, Depa, and Demira were at the other. The elders, ten of them, sat five on each side, and did not look happy at the crew. Zeb and Sabine sat a bit uncomfortable at the stare down. Hera was next to Sabine with Chopper right behind her. She was focused on Kanan who looked suspiciously at the Shaman, trying to understand what he had said earlier. Next to him was Depa who sat quietly with eyes closed. Demira on her other side rocked back in forth in a cross-legged position, until Ezra on her other side leaned to her, "Are these… elders… going to be able to understand?"

She whispered back, "They are the oldest. They knew Trader Rack. I learned to speak basic from them."

When the Shaman and Chief finished speaking, Kanan took it as his cue to speak. "You're Force Sensitive." He said to the Shaman. "That's how you knew the Empire was here."

The rest of the crew was shocked, and even more when Ezra added, "And so is the Chief."

The Chief answered with enthusiasm. "Observant you are like the Master," Then he explained, "When All Mother calls specifically to certain Tribe Members and they can respond back, they are most likely chosen to become Chief or Shaman of the Tribe. It is this way so that we are in charge of protecting the Tribe—"

The Shaman cut in, "And that includes making sure strangers don't bring hellfire from above to our peaceful land."

Depa said, eyes opened and with struggled calm, "You cannot put the blame on them. Just like I was ten years ago, Kanan and his friends had only come here for help and did not mean to bring the Empire."

"The only thing you proved to me is that like you, your Padawans pass on the line of bringing danger."

Depa's fury suddenly spiked and she hissed, "Now see here-!" She quickly calmed down. Her outburst had shocked the crew. Then they thought it was out of protection and even the calm ones had a sore spot. But Kanan knew even out of protection Depa would first consider diplomacy before emotion. Depa was always so leveled. Ezra and Kanan suddenly looked to Demira. The girl's shoulders were hunched and she had menacing sneer towards the Shaman. They remembered her quick personality change earlier in training. Was that where Depa got her emotions from?

Depa said calmly this time. "You have no right to put blame on my friends, especially my Padawans. If you want to put the blame on someone so easily, put it on me. I asked if you could shelter them, I am to blame." The crew and Demira protested this, saying Depa shouldn't say such a thing. But the Jedi Master was set, and it seemed to relax the Shaman.

He said, "You seem a little too easy to take the blame. Why?"

"We have more pressing matters." Depa then looked to Hera to speak.

The Twi'lek nodded and said, "The message could not be sent to the Fleet. The Empire cut off communication."

"So it's almost impossible for you to leave, especially with your ship still in disrepair…." The Chief added. "And your people will be in danger."

The Shaman looked around at the elders. "Yahala…" They then whispered among each other. Then when they all gave one nod to their leaders, all hell broke loose.

The Chief stood up and hissed, "Makanase!"

Depa stood up too, "You can't do this!"

Demira stood up to and yelled, "They need our help!"

The Shaman stood up and ignored the protests as he said to the crew, "You are on your own… You leave now."

"You can't do that…" Zeb growled. Hera put a hand towards him so that she could say as calmly as she could to the Shaman, "Please, give us one more day—"

The Shaman ignored her and said to the Chief, "Your word goes. Do you agree?"

"No!" The Chief yelled instantly.

"Kerchec—" The Shaman began.

The Chief suddenly began to dispute in their language. Depa at one point came into the conversation as well. Demira also added to the argument.

"FTANG!" The Shaman suddenly banged his staff on the ground. His yell somehow shook the leaves that acted as the roof covering and his staff making a wind blow and then settle in a matter of seconds. All was still, until he said, "You will hear me out, and you—" He pointed his staff towards Demira. The girl stood straight and froze. The crew watched as, without a word, she slowly sat back down, cross-legged and bowed her head. They remembered how Depa and the Chief talked about how hard it was to get approval due to her lineage. It looked like it mostly came from the Shaman and the elders. Ezra patted her on the back as Zeb and Sabine gave her sympathetic looks.

Depa gave a sympathetic look of her own, nodding to Demira that hey would address it later. Then she turned in all seriousness to the Shaman and said, "You cannot just leave them helpless and undefended."

"Consider the facts, Depa. All Mother is restless. This is not normal, even for the Empire. If it is true that they will not stop until they find you, how long will it be until they think to take a trek up the mountain and get a better view of a hidden canyon behind the waterfall. All Mother created this place to hide us! Not your friends! It's only a matter of time until they find this crew here and what then? Our people will be discovered, our peace I worked to keep lost. I can't risk it and you know it, Depa. You said it yourself when you first came to our village years ago. You are a danger…. Did you deny it?"

Kanan looked to Depa, almost scared. She had said that? Depa did not advert her gaze from the Shaman. "No." The crew couldn't help but feel guilty. They hated to admit it but the Shaman was right. One more day here was taking away innocent people's chances of freedom from the Empire.

The Shaman made no boast about it. He then looked to the crew, "And as for your Fleet…. I am sorry but we can't do anything. We are not advanced. I have no idea what you want from us that can help your people, but you will not find it here." Then he looked to the Chief. "Am I not correct? Will you finally agree this will help our people? What you say, goes."

The Chief hated to say it, but he responded with struggled calm, "You are right. It's the only way to help our people. But I do not think it's fair that our side makes the decision." He looked to Kanan. "What is the choice of your people?"

Kanan looked to Hera, the one who was truly in charge of making the final decisions for them. The pilot had gone silent when the argument reached its climax. This is what Hera had been worrying about the whole time since they got to the Zuri Tribe's home. The only hope they had was the radio and now that was useless. She looked to the team. Zeb's ears were down and Sabine made no eye contact, showing signs of guilt in the Empire's presence here. Hera then looked to Ezra. He could only shrug his shoulders, knowing that what the Shaman said was reasonable enough. Kanan, well, he was with her all the way, whatever it may be.

It was time to make the crew's decision known. Hera stood up, "Though I'm not inclined to agree with all your view points you had presented to us since we got here, especially your judgments on how we look, know that you make a fair claim. You have limited resources and can't help us and we're not helping either by staying here while the Empire tracks us down. We'll go back to our ship and stay there to come up with our own plans. It's the best chance both us and your people have."

The Shaman was taken aback by Hera's sudden agreement, but the reasons were clear. The Chief felt bad that it had to come to this, so he said, "I will arrange the gatherers to set aside food and the weavers make baskets. It is the best we can provide for the rest of your stay in Panama outside the Waterfall."

"Thank you…"

* * *

The meeting was soon adjourned and the crew with Depa and Demira were inside the Jedi's hut. The air was solemn. Ezra and Zeb were sitting down in the corner making refinements on their weapons. Hera and Sabine were slowly packing the transmitter in a well-woven basket to transport back to the ship. Kanan was with Depa by the hut entrance. Depa said, "The Chief sill go ahead and to tell the Tribe to stay close to the Waterfall and under the cover of the jungle until the Empire had gone for good. Demira and I are to stay with you throughout the rest of your stay."

"You sure that's ok? It looks like the Shaman has plans to kick you out if you stay with us any longer."

"Bruton will never keep me from being with my lost Padawan," She said with determination. Demira, who was sitting in the corner of the hut back turned to everyone and holding something in hand, overheard Depa. She cringed. Yes, she was sad that the crew was forced out of the Tribe's protective shelter but she was a little concerned that Depa put emphasize on Kanan. Yes, this was her Padawan, but… Demira was her Padawan, too. Depa hadn't even tried to address how the Shaman treated her. Depa always comforted her right after….

Demira continued to look down at the object in her hand.

Kanan said to Depa in reply, with a smirk, "We're not gone yet…"

"Yet…."

Kanan frowned, then rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "I haven't really thought of what would happen after we left… what you would do—"

Demira couldn't take it. She immediately had a horrible thought; Depa leaving. Before her Master could respond to Kanan, she stood you and yelled out, "You shouldn't have to go!" Everyone who had been sluggishly moving or sitting around suddenly went up right, looking at Demira concerned. Depa and Kanan looked to her, wondering who she was responding to. Seeing she was put on the spot, Demira quickly tried to use the Force to mask her nervousness. She didn't want anyone, especially Kanan, to feel how she felt. Then she thought of something. It was true, Depa didn't have to go…. The crew neither. Demira truly felt the crew deserved better than to be left out for the Empire to catch. She let her feelings know, "You shouldn't have to leave the Village."

Hera smiled going up to Demira and putting a hand on the girl's shoulder, "We appreciate it, hun, but it's not just your leader's who made the decision."

Demira nodded, understanding completely. She shouldn't try to force them out of the decision. Depa noticed something in Demira's hand. "Padawan… hold it up." Demira did, holding up the Holocron higher for all to see.

Demira said, "I only know so much from what Depa told me. I know….. little of this Academy…." She looked at Sabine. Then she looked at Zeb, "And what Lasats are like…. But everything I've heard I can only imagine what everything out there… is… My people can only imagine what is like." She went up to Depa and handed the Holocron to her. Depa took it and then looked at Demira. The girl looked away. So far what Depa had told her had made her feel less like a strange person. The world outside Panama was stranger than her. Demira felt welcomed by these people because like her they were different.

Demira let go of the Force, letting her emotion of longing be felt by the Jedi in the tent. Kanan was confused, but Ezra got it right away. He stood up and went to Depa, "I think while the food is gathered for us we can take a peek into the Holocron."

Demira smiled, jumping up and down and looking at Depa pleadingly. The Master didn't even hesitate, "I did promise that, right?"

* * *

.

* * *

 **A.N: And yeah shit happened. It was about time they addressed these issues, even though the Shaman was a bit of a jerk about it. Now, what's the plan? It looks like though that Demira is more worried about spending time with her new friends then plans, and more worried about Depa. I guess we'll see soon. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	21. Ch 20: The Outside Comes

**A.N: Well I'm emotionally distraught. Five shows in the span of five days have made me emotionally distraught. I mean SABINE AGHH! I really do hope she comes back soon.** Also **I think I have a crush on her brother.**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: The Outside Comes**

* * *

Demira grabbed the Holocron and put it down in the middle of the room. As Hera and Sabine finished up packing the transmitter and radio, Demira sat down in front of the Holocron as Depa sat down on the other side. Ezra went back to sit next to Zeb, but was much closer to where Demira and Depa sat to get a better look. Kanan leaned against the door frame of the hut, slightly peeved the Demira had interrupted him and Depa, but was still curious to see what the two were going to do.

Depa said, "No concentrate, I want to you to think on what you want to look for inside the Holocron."

"How will I know what's to look for if I don't know what it is?"

Depa had to think. Demira had a point, this was her first time. Usually, younglings grew up with the idea of knowledge in the Holocron, but Demira barely had an idea of what was out there. Then Ezra said, "I had no idea either the first go around. Just relax and focus your energy in yourself, that usually helps."

Kanan smiled, proud that Ezra was taking a teaching role. Demira nodded, sitting up straight like Depa and then closing her eyes as she put her hands together, fingers intertwined. Almost immediately the Holocron began to rise from the ground, stopping to hover just below the ceiling. Zeb and Sabine gawked at the sight, having never really seen the Holocron in use before now. Hera had come around to stand next to Kanan, leaning into him but looking at the Holocron. She didn't notice how Kanan had become more flustered as Demira, without struggle opened the Holocron. The edges turned and pulled away from their center to let the energy flow out and create a hologram of a complex star map over them.

Demira opened her eyes and gasped. She stood up to get a better look at the many ellipses that moved and revolved around a bright star in the middle. "What is…." She reached up to try and touch it but her fingers phases through it. "Ah!" She exclaimed. Ezra could only laugh at her reaction. She looked at her fingers and then back at the star map. She tried several times to 'touch' the hologram but after a while she figured it out. "Energy like light? Onga…."

Sabine said, "I don't think she'll understand a star map like that."

"Heck," Zeb cut in, "Even I'm confused."

Depa stood up, and then closed her eyes to focus on the Holocron. The star map suddenly changed, creating an image of various small scale planets that scattered almost randomly around the room. Demira's eyes grew wide and her mouth open into a large smile. "Are these other worlds?"

"Yep!" Ezra said. He pointed to planets on the edge of the map. "See this is Wild Space. Now that it's been updated, we can find Panama right around… here." He pointed to a planet circled by three moons behind Demira. She looked at it, seeing it as it hovered just shoulder length to her. She leaned over to get a better look. "Wow…." Everyone's sprit's lifted as Demira's curiosity grew. They hadn't seen someone have so much fun in learning in a long time. Demira then said, "This is home… where is your planet?"

Ezra went across the room to a cluster of planets that were more centered then Panama. "Right here in the outer rim, this one is Lothal." Demira followed him and looked at the bigger planet, surrounded by two moons and even had sister planets nearby. "Ahh…. It looks like there is much blue on it."

"Yeah, we have lakes, oceans—"

"Oceans," Demira almost yelled. She stretched her arms out, "As in, big, big water like on that planet called Kamino? How do you get around water?"

Ezra started to laugh, seeing how immensely shocked she looked, "No, no, we have plains, that's what the brown is…"

"Oh…." She then looked at everyone and said, "Do your planets have big, big water too?"

Considering Demira had been the reason they no longer felt as sullen as they did before, they joined in one by one on the fun, telling her where their planet was and a little bit of the land and even what their people were like from their view. Demira had been told much from Depa's experience, but the look in the girl's eyes made it look like she was hearing it all new from the start.

Kanan had been quiet the whole. Somewhat because he figured they were sort of wasting their time when they had to get out soon. Also, Demira made it very clear Depa has taught her much, so if Demira made it very obvious why ask again. Didn't she pay attention to what Depa told her? But he knew there was a deeper reason why he didn't want to join in, and it wasn't Demira. Kanan didn't know where he came from. He went straight to the temple as a toddler, he wouldn't even be able to remember the name of his homeworld. Why did Demira had to make it more painful to bear the idea of something he put so far behind him? He just wanted to keep going with the idea that homeworld was once Corascant, and now most importantly with the Ghost Crew.

Speaking of Corascant, "Depa?" Demira asked, "Where's the Temple?"

Depa and Kanan felt a sudden sense of longing pass through them. Ezra and Demira felt it through the Force, Ezra becoming a bit uncomfortable and Demira slightly guilty. But Depa was quick to recover, saying, "Well, where's Corascant like I had once told you?" Demira became delighted, ready to test out what Depa had taught her.

Like a mantra, Demira said, "The center of it it all…" She moved to the middle, pointing to the planet that was one of the biggest and the most centered of the whole map. "Corascant…"

"Excellent, my Padawan—"

Suddenly the curtain of the door was pulled back and the Chief strolled in without even thinking to look around. "The canoe is ready for- ONGA!" Walking right into a planet holograph. Shocked to have done so he tripped and fell forward. The sudden event made Demira laugh and Depa giggle. The others looked amused as Demira squatted down in front of her Chief and said, "You just ran into Geonosis."

She helped him stand back in his feet as he said, "Sorry for the intrusion." As he stood up right he noticed in front of his face was the planet again and he tried to swipe it away. Noticing his hand went through, he said, "Fascinating…. anyway, the canoe is ready with your supplies. So whenever you're ready."

The hologram around the room suddenly diminished to nothing. The holocron's corners connected back to it's source, then fell complete into Depa's hand. "Let's go," She said with a tone of sadness.

* * *

After they had passed under the waterfall, the canoe passed the mist and docked on the shore. The farasi creatures eating the reeds by the shore kept to themselves as the crew climbed off the canoe. M'Stari helped them unload their stuff to secure the supplies on to the backs of Belle and Sar Sar. Sabine was helping the Zuri member finish tying the rope on the creatures, and she was stuck trying to figure out how to respond to M'Stari. "Um, thank you for your help."

The look he gave her made it look like he didn't understand. Demira came around, "Po a san irayo."

"Ot," M'Stari said startled and gave a curt nod to Sabine, "Nga kuwa." And he walked back to the canoe.

"He said your welcome," Demira translated.

As the girl went to pet Sar Sar, Sabine followed her behind and asked, "Is it possible you can teach me how to speak… your language."

"Of course, I helped teach Depa."

They were soon walking through the forest with the Kuru and Kuri walking behind them with baskets strapped on their back. When they had reached the clearing with the ship still in one peace, Sabine and Zeb looked up astonished.

"You guys did that?" Zeb asked.

"Yep," Ezra came in. He pretended to fix the collar of his jumpsuit, "I've got some wizard skills, eh?"

"Don't push it…" Sabine muttered.

Demira saw the exchange and giggled, adding on, "Well, someone did have to teach him."

Sabine and Zeb chuckled, even Chopper giving his signature laugh. Ezra slumped a little, turning his head back to give them a frown. Demira came up to him and said, "Don't worry, you still did great." Ezra smiled at her assurance.

Suddenly Demira's head perked up towards the farthest reaches of the forest. Ezra replied to her comment, "Thanks, Demira I—Demira?"

"Onga…." Demira turned around and yelled frightened, "Depa!"

The master looked up, and so did everyone, just as a bunch of creatures came out of the forest and into the clearing. Everyone stepped back to watch as dark, red furred creatures no smaller then Chopper swung from the branches of the trees and landed on the ship. Their noses hung long in front of them as their eyes were wide staring at the destination ahead. Their long arms up front supported them with the help of their small hind feet as they made their way across the ship and jumping to the trees onto the other side of the clearing. Their tails helped them balance as the giant group disappeared into the trees. "Those were nyani…" Depa gasped and she looked in the direction from where they came from.

Demira said nervously, "The Chief said no patrol had gone out."

"Those creatures reacted to something?" Kanan asked.

"Mostly to people. If there are no patrol—oh but it could be the Nomads."

"Nomads are in that direction," Demira said pointing far from the direction the nyani came from. She said so, with a slight hiss. "The plains west are where they shelter when they travel here."

The crew knew she was thinking about her parentage, but Kanan thought she was being a know it all. He said to Depa with confidence, "It could be the Empire. We could check it out."

"I would say it's best we avoid them, but it's better if we check. After all, whatever is coming is headed this way. We must keep them far from the ship. Demira, stay with Sar Sar and Belle to unpack. The rest of us will go."

"But, Depa…

"I'wan," Depa said, more firm.

Demira's shoulders slumped. "Yes Master." She really wanted to see what the danger was. She looked at Kanan, who gave her nothing but a raised eyebrow. She looked away.

On noticing Demira's reaction to being left behind, Depa added, "I trust you to guard the ship?"

Demira stood straight and said a bit more excited, "Yes Master." She began to untie the knots of the rope on Sar Sar.

Hera told Chopper to do the same, "Help Demira get the transmitter and the radio set up. Be ready to take any incoming messages if the fleet decided to try and find us."

As the crew left the clearing behind, they were wondered what had Depa left her Padawan back on the ship, and they knew it wasn't to protect it. "You know," Ezra began, "After watching fight and know her way around, I'm sure she can help."

"To an extant, young one," Depa said with formality, putting her hands into her sleeves. "She knows everything I taught her, but she doesn't know everything I know, especially about the Empire."

It made sense to Kanan. If this was Imperial soldiers, Demira wouldn't know how to fight them, even with her experienced training. Ezra saw their point, but he knew that keeping her from a potential confrontation, she would never get the experience at all. Knowing Kanan wouldn't be to happy if Ezra argued, he staid quiet the rest of the way. They all made the long trek away from the clearing, away from the waterfall, away from the mountain. It was a good sign that whatever was coming was far away, but not for long. Seeing no sign of anything after ten minutes, Zeb said, "I see nothing. Those nyari must have gotten spooked for no reason."

"There is always a reason…" Depa said, her eyes scanning through the deep foliage ahead. She didn't see it but she knew they weren't alone. "Kanan…"

"Yeah, I feel it, too."

"So do I," Ezra added. "Up ahead, not even one kilometer away."

"That close?" Sabine hissed.

Zeb's ears perked up, "I hear machinery."

"Definitely Stormtroopers with ground transports," Hera concluded.

"Those bucket heads are just as far as Ezra said," Zeb added. He nudged the kid on the side. Ezra nudged him back.

"Good work," Depa said. "We should make a perimeter around them. Two of us on each side, then two here in the front. When we see them, we observe and you wait for my signal if we…" Depa noticed she had taken unknown command until she noticed everyone was listening to her intently, "Oh, sorry…."

"No it's fine," Hera said. "I couldn't have said it better myself anyway."

"Lead the way, Master," Kanan said, "Just like old times."

"All right then," Depa said to Hera, "Captain Syndulla, you and Sabine take the east side towards the river. Captain Orellios, you and Ezra take west. My Padawan and I will face them front.

A new surge of energy in her words rubbed off on all of them. They immediately went to their positions and moved forward. Kanan and Depa held her hands over their lightsabers ready as they moved forward. Kanan began to whisper, "You haven't lost your touch as General."

"I almost did once, and I promised myself I wouldn't let that happen again. That's when I took you on as my Padawan." Kanan smiled. Depa's thoughts waivered and she looked back in the direction of the Ghost. "Speaking of Padawans…."

Kanan stopped her from doubting herself. "You made the right choice, Demira isn't ready."

"I know. I just hope Kerchec doesn't say anything about it after this opportunity."

"The Chief? What does he have to do with Demira's training?"

"It should be nothing really. After all, Demira's connection to the Force is much stronger then Kerchec and Bruton combined. They do not know her limits."

"How is Demira stronger?"

"When I told you how I met Demira, I said her physical ability is what made her stand out. Mostly it's just because of training now, but before she was destined to learn to use the Force in more then just to speak with All Mother, as Bruton puts it."

"Her destiny is to be a Jedi. Well, training under you that's obvious—"

"No, it's not to be a Jedi. Time have changed for me, Kanan. I don't train Jedi, I train Demira to be her best self. And that's where Kerchec always argues."

"On what? What's the problem?"

Depa didn't have time to answer. She only got to look at Kanan with guilt in her eyes, then suddenly the sound of heavy machinery was heard. Depa and Kanan quickly ducked behind two trees. They put their hands over they pulled out their lightsaber but never activated them. When they poked their head out to face where the noise came from, they saw a clearing. Coming out in the wide space were about twenty Stormtroopers heavily armed. Behind them were two Imperial tanks, and leading the entire squad was a man Depa hadn't seen before. Judging by his grey uniform and helmet he looked like an ISB Agent, but the small colorful plaque on the left o f his chest said Commander.

Unfortunately, Kanan knew who it was. "Kallus," He said with venom.

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 **A.N: Ooooh no…. and remember this is before Kallus and Zeb got stuck together in the snow so things are still a bit salty between them. So Demira loves learning, which gets on Kanan's nerves. Then the table turn when Demira is left behind. Depa gets back her general status for a while everyone goes with it. That was fun to write. Now we get into some real action. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	22. Ch 21: First Attack

**A.N: Mon Mothma is bae, am I right? And Hera taught Ezra how to fly, I can't get over how great that is! Anyway so this chapter is going to get some great Imperial vs Rebel action, so enjoy!**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 21: First Attack**

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Kallus continued to lead the trek into the forest with the Stormtroopers and two tanks jus behind him. Kanan and Depa had managed to remain unspotted behind the trees they hid behind. But they new they had to come up with a plan and fast. Seeing the determined look on Kanan's face, Depa said, "We can't engage."

"We'll have to. It's the only way we'll lead them away from the ship. What we can do is we have them catch our trail and lead them in another direction. We'll loose them halfway and let them try to figure out where we went. If we're lucky they continue going in the direction we want them to go."

"But that will require that you get caught."

"Not caught, just… seen."

Depa gave him a raised eyebrow. "Please tell me it's not normal for you to twist words like that in a plan?"

"Ask Sabine and Zeb, the worst I've done is change the plan while doing a job." Seeing Depa's eyes go wide, Kanan quickly said, "Hey it's ok, it'll work. Kallus over there has been on our tail since day one. If he sees a chance to catch us he'll take it. We'll lead him away for sure."

"Only if you're sure. We must warn the others."

Kanan nodded and got out his communicator, "Specter one to—" Static was immediately heard. "Ah, Karabast."

The sound of tanks coming to a halt and footsteps halting made Depa and Kanan completely hide behind their trees and freeze in place, only looking at each other as they heard Kallus yell out, "All right then, clear out this area. We need to get these tanks through."

Even without the Force, Kanan and Depa knew what would happen next. Kanan motioned in the direction where Hera and Sabine went. Then quickly pointed at himself before pointing where Zeb and Ezra went. Depa nodded, and they quickly went separated ways, just as the tanks fired.

They hit just meters from where Depa and Kanan had been, destroying some trees long the way. The blast made Depa stop and look back, seeing small explosion and the mushroom cloud it created. As the smoke dispersed, Depa's hands clenched as she saw many trees uprooted and in pieces. She hated to see such precious life destroyed, but she knew she couldn't do anything but stop more of the forest from getting cut down. She continued on.

Kanan got to Zeb and Ezra where were hiding behind a couple of bushes just near the tree line. Kanan was a shaking off a feeling of pain through the Force. Ezra had felt it too, "Kanan…. The trees…"

"I know…"

"I understand what Demira means now…"

Zeb cut in, "Would like to understand but we ain't got time. Kanan, what's the plan?"

Back with Hera and Sabine who were ducked behind a couple of trees, Depa was filling them in on the plan. Hera asked, "So, where do we lead them?"

Depa nodded to the other side of the clearing, where Kanan, Ezra, and Zeb were. "Well," Sabine said, "I always said men make good bait."

"You say that now, but we're joining them," Depa said with a smirk. Sabine's eyes widened and without turning her head her gaze met Depa's. All Sabine did was put her helmet on.

Zeb, Ezra, and Kanan stood up, and held up their firearms. "Ready, and…." Kanan began.

Kallus was waiting for the next round the tank would fire to clear a path, almost impatiently. He stood straight but his foot tapped the ground. It would be a while, but he knew with all the information that had gone by him in the last two days about the Rebels being here, Kallus couldn't waist another second. Suddenly the sound of blaster fire was heard from the left of his squad. He looked up in time to see Kanan, Ezra, and Zeb making a brake for it in the western direction. He was about to yell out an order when suddenly, passing by the clear path the tanks had made, was Sabine, Hera, and someone in a hood. They ran in the direction the rest of their team was going.

Kallus beat himself out of his daze. "Follow them!" he said to the ground squad. As the group immediately wen into action, Kallus turned to the the one trooper who rode on top of the left tank. "Follow but don't shoot until you have a clear shot."

They Ghost crew along with Depa ran down a part of the forest that was not so heavy with foliage. It was easy for the Stormtroopers to track them down, get right behind them, and start shooting. Everyone pulled out their blasters and fired back. Often they would dodge the Stormtroopers blaster fire, not that they needed to really with their lousy aims. Other times they would fire back and sometimes land a shot. Depa was the only one who dodged all together, leading the way for the crew.

When the Stormtroopers got close enough and even Kallus had caught up to the front, Kanan and Ezra started to fall back. Sabine yelled out, "We have to go faster not slow down!"

"We can't loose them yet!" Kanan answered as he and Ezra pulled out their lightsaber. They held them back, blocking shots, as they continued to run.

"We're still too close to the ship," Hera said, firing back and hitting one Stormtrooper on the leg so that they fell and tripped.

Depa said, "If we can loose them again when the jungle gets thick, just up ahead."

They continued on, and just when they saw the trees grow closer and closer together, the tanks began to fire. But they didn't hit the group. The blasts hit the tree line where they were heading. The group had to stop and even step back to keep the heat of the explosion from hitting them. When the smoke cloud cleared there was a wall of fire blocking their way. When they looked back, Kallus, Troopers, and tanks had caught up them, making a wall of their own. The crew was trapped.

Kallus held up his bo-rifle as he said, "We have you now, Rebels. Surrender your arms."

The crew didn't know what to do at first. The common thing was to resist. They weren't ones to go down without a fight. But the odds were against them. After all, both tanks had their canons aimed right at them and the Stormtroopers all had their weapons ready. Sure Kanan and Ezra would be fast to move, but they weren't so sure about the others.

Kanan looked to where Depa was- or where she should have been. He looked around, noticing his master was no where in site. The others noticed too. The Jedi had fled just as the group had been cornered. She didn't ditch them? Did she? She wouldn't.

Noticing how nervous the Ghost crew had gotten, Kallus said, "Finally accepting the fact you have no chance?"

"As if," Zeb said, picking up the aim of his bo-rifle to be level with Kallus's head. The Stormtroopers clicked the safety off of their blasters. Hera and Kanan looked at each others. There had to be a reason Depa had gone. Did she have a plan? Ezra and Sabine thought the same thing, too, looking at each other. From the corner of his eye, he saw Hera motion her hand with a twist of the wrist. He needed to keep stalling. "If we didn't think we had a chance we would have ditched you by now."

Kallus laughed. "I guess so. You would have stayed hidden, but you felt you had a chance because you lead us away from your ship." The ghost crew stiffened. "That's right, I know a bold move when I see one, especially since you're all out here and not attacking us with your ship. So, what is it? Damaged hyper drive? Fuel leak? You rebels always end up breaking something one way or another."

"If you care so much of our ship why not go turn around and find it?" Hera said with venom.

"I would but finding you and taking you in is the ultimate goal. I thought finding you here in this place would be much harder all things considered, but imagine how this desolate place can bring such luck."

"And how is it you found us…. All things considered?" Sabine asked, saying the last part mockingly."

"Like it matters." Suddenly, there was the sound of rustling from a nearby tree and everyone looked in that direction. Seeing nothing that could have moved it, Kallus began, confused, "What—"

All of a sudden, a cloaked figure dropped down behind Kallus, landing in a squat. Kallus looked back in time to see the hooded figure with a painted wooden mask covering their entire face and a staff hooked and wide at the end. Before he could move his rifle to aim at the figure, the person bent low, spinning around to swipe their staff below his feet making him fall. The figure stood up to look back at the Ghost crew as they stood tall and proud. The crew smiled, thankful Depa had stayed all along.

The Stormtroopers captain yelled, "Engage!" As soon as he said that, Depa turned around to back flip away from the soldiers as they opened fire. Kallus got up on his knees to see the figure jump to land next to the crew as they too had their weapons firing blast after blast at his men. Kallus began to fire back. Zeb took it as his moment to finally get a jump on Kallus. He fired at Kallus but the man saw it coming. Kallus sneered and began to fire back. The rest f the crew aimed at a Stormtrooper. Depa took this as her chance to run to Ezra and Kanan's side. Seeing they had their lightsabers out blocking shots, on instinct Depa reach down for her own. She stopped though, knowing she couldn't. There was a reason she hid before attacking the Stormtroopers in the first place. Why did she keep her mask down? Why had she only used her staff thus far? She had to remain unidentified as much and as long as she could.

Seeing the crew dodge blaster fire Depa knew they couldn't hold on for long, even if Kanan and Ezra blocked most of it. She yelled to them, "Take to the boulders," and motioned behind her. Gripping her staff tight Depa charged towards the Stormtroopers.

"Wait!" Kanan yelled.

"What the-?" Ezra began to ask as he looked behind them. In the midst of the firefight no one had noticed that two large boulders had risen from beneath the ground. "Where did these come from?"

No one answered as Hera, Sabine, and Zeb took cover behind one boulder and Ezra and Kanan went behind another. They continued firing at the Stormtroopers as Depa came at the imperials avoiding blaster fire, dodging every which way.

Kallus watched the figure jumped up and landed behind to Stormtroopers. They once again used their staff to swipe underneath their feet. Kallus thought it would be a repetitive action but the figure was smarter then they looked. As fast as they had taken the first two, the figure stood up and spun around with their staff. The hook end grabbed another trooper by the throat and they slammed the soldier down on the ground. Then they jumped and used another Stormtrooper as a spring board to push them down and then spin in the air to kick her foot out to the head of another. Kallus wanted to shoot the figure but Zeb continued to shoot at him with his bo-rifle. To get him to stop, Kallus shot directly above Zeb's head. The Lasat was forced to completely duck behind his boulder next to Sabine and Hera. Kallus took this as his chance to go after the figure.

Depa had punched a Stormtrooper in the neck and then kicked him in the stomach so that she had only three Stormtrooper left to take on. They were busy shooting the Ghost crew, so she thought in knocking them out like the rest she could finish this fight. But she forgot one more. A signal in the Force told her to duck. Depa did, getting down as she heard the hiss of electricity slice the air where she had once been. She looked up to see Kallus had his rifle turned into an electro-staff, so she readied her staff. She came up to stand with one foot forward and her staff with the hook end on her shoulders. Kallus stepped forward to bring one end of his staff on her head. Depa blocked it moving her staff to hold in both hands horizontal to the electro-staff. She kept her staff horizontal to bring it down on his knee but Kallus maneuvered the staff to block the attack below. Kallus stepped back and then swung his staff as Depa did so herself. When their weapons clashed, they pushed against each other.

The crew and the Stormtroopers stopped firing and watched as Kallus and Depa had a go at each other, left and right, up and down, in all directions. The Stormtroopers turned their aim and fired towards Depa. She maneuvered around Kallus in a spin motion to confuse him, then faced her attackers. She dodged every blast and raised left her hand up to use the Force. Then she suddenly remembered…. She couldn't… not until she had to….

That's where she failed.

She heard the hiss behind her snap and then turn to the click of a rifle. Depa's eyes went wide as she suddenly saw it right in front of her eyes. It was something she hadn't seen in a long while but was not uncommon to see… when she heard the sound of a weapon ready to fire at her back. She saw Kanan—no—Caleb, running up a hill on Kaller as her Clone Captain, Styles, and other clones pursued Caleb from behind. She heard the sound of her Clone Commander, Grey, firing up his weapon as she became distracted. Depa tried to tell herself this was nothing but a trick of the mind, but she still remained frozen as Kallus said, "Don't move."

Kanan almost found himself back on Kaller as well, watching Depa call out to to him as Grey aimed his blaster at Depa's back. Kanan's nostrils flared as he jumped up and over the boulder with lightsaber gripped tight. "Not again…" He whispered. The crew shouted at him to stop as the three Stormtroopers still standing had gone to stand in between Kanan and Depa. He only stopped when Depa finally dropped her arm and turned her head to look at him. Even though her face was hidden by her painted mask, Kanan could see her dark brown eyes. Those same eyes that looked back at him more then fifteen years ago that were followed with one word…. Run… "No," Kanan said, sounding defeated.

"No?" Kallus asked, smirking. By this time, more Stormtroopers that were just coming to from Depa's attack stood up and surrounded Kanan. The crew came out slowly from behind the cover of their boulders with weapons ready to defend the Jedi. Kallus continued, "Fine then. If you surrender then your…. friend here…. won't suffer—" As soon as he moved his rifle inches from Depa's back, a loud animalistic war call only familiar to Depa and the crew was heard from above.

Demira had come.

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 **A.N: And here she comes to kick some ass. So Kanan is starting to see Depa may be keeping something back about her and Demira but when the Imperials get closer, Kanan comes up with the ultimate plan that eventually gets them all cornered. Look like Depa can still hold her own… at least to some point. So who can shake her out of her state? As for Kanan and the others, they're going to see something cooler then just a couple of training excersizes. So remember not this week but the week after I update. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	23. Ch 22: In Sync

**A.N: I guess reviews have been quiet since we're getting close to the season finale of Rebels. I'm not surprised, I mean GOD DAMN IT DID YOU SEE YESTERDAY'S EPISODE! I CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S GONE WTF!**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 22: In Sync**

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Sporting her fur cape and mask, Demira was much like Depa when she jumped in: a figure unknown. Coming out of nowhere she jumped high and threw her spear down so that it knocked the rifle out of his grip and pinned it to the ground. She came down and aimed a foot towards Kallus. The Agent wasn't fast enough to move away as she landed on his head and used it as a spring board. It was enough force to knock Kallus out hard enough that he instantly went limp before falling to the ground. And it was enough force to let Demira grab her spear then jump up and over the line of three Stormtroopers. As she came down she used her spear to knock the weapons out of their grasps and then herself land in a squat. The Stormtroopers looked down at empty hands and looked up in time to see Demira used her spear to knock the three Stormtroopers out immediately. The Stormtroopers around got ready to fire, but Demira turned to face them and gave a loud howl. Feeling put off by such a response, the Stormtroopers didn't shoot and tried to figure out what to do.

That's when the creatures arrived. Belle and Sar Sar charged after the Stormtroopers and each took on three of them. They either stepped on the soldiers, pushed them away with their tail or bit into them. Demira took her chance and ran to Depa. "Asa mahi!" the crew went to Demira to see what was wrong with Depa. The girl gently ran a hand from the top of Depa's head, down the side of her face and to her neck. "Asa Mahi! Asa Mahi! ASA MAHI!"

Depa blinked several times until she managed to focus back on reality once again. She said in a distant voice, "What? What happened—"

"Nga tse'a siku," Demira responded. Depa suddenly became sad at what Demira said.

"What does that mean?" Kanan asked. They had no time to explain.

At that moment the soldiers in the tanks no longer waited for a command to fire. They aimed for the crew and everyone jumped away from the tank, away from firing range. An explosion occurred where the Rebels once stood. As everyone got up from hitting the ground, a cloud flying dirt particles began to disperse. The Tanks would be ready to fire again when they saw a clear shot. Demira and Depa at the same time put two fingers to their lips and whistled the same tune.

Belle and Sar Sar attacked the tanks to distract them. Belle and Sar Sar each took on a tank by digging their claws into the sides and biting through the pipe of the canons. The Stormtroopers fired at the creatures but the Rebels took it upon themselves to protect them. They shot their blasters getting the Stormtroopers to fire at them. They planned to duck behind the boulders again, but suddenly the rocks were gone.

"What is up with this planet?" Zeb growled. Suddenly the ground began to rumble below their feet. The crew looked at Depa and Demira who stood next to each other facing the Stormtroopers who had stopped firing because of the earth shaking.

Depa and Demira put one foot out, one hand back, and the other hand up holding up their weapons like lightsaber at ready. Everything that happened next, Depa and Demira did it in sync as if they had rehearsed it several times over. They swiped their staff and spear at an arc. When their weapons hit the ground and moved up to point at the Stormtroopers, a wall of rock shot out at an angle and pushed the Stormtroopers. Some fell into the shrubs at the edge of the clearing and some got knocked into the tanks.

Sabine said, "It's not the planet, it's them."

"So wizard!" Ezra exclaimed.

Some troopers had managed to avoid the attack and jumped away. Depa and Demira spun their staff and spear so that it rested in the grip of their right hand. Their left arms went up, palm facing the trees of the jungle. Eyes closed they moved their arms left to right as the Stormtroopers attacked. A bunch of vines that grew from the trees that surrounded the left side of the clearing wrapped themselves around the Stormtroopers. When Depa and Demira moved their hands back left, the vines pulled the Stormtroopers towards the trunks of the trees. Like rope, the vines pinned Stormtroopers to the tree. Stormtroopers recovering from the rock attack earlier got up and tried too attack again. There were only five of them now, which made it easy for Depa and Demira to go after them. With a wave of their hands, they settled the rock face that had been uprooted earlier and then charged the Stormtroopers together. Jumping up, they landed behind four Stormtroopers, each using their weapons to knock out two each. The last one left was just the captain.

"Did you see that?" Ezra asked, excited.

"Never seen anyone work in sync like that before," Zeb commented.

Hera looked at Kanan who deadpanned at the commentary. It was obvious now there was jealousy between Kanan and Demira, but it didn't have to go as far as to how Depa worked so well with Demira in combat.

The captain had his blaster all ready and when he fired Depa and Demira dispersed to avoid blaster fire. They used the tanks to spring up and jump down to land a kick on him. The captain jumped forward to role out of the way and land to face them as he kneeled. He had his weapon aiming at Depa when the two landed. He fired but Depa and Demira both dropped down to land in a plank position to avoid the shot. Demira, feeling her master had been too close to danger, took the initiative. She jumped to her feet and then up and over Depa to land on all fours on the ground. Then like an animal she ran on both hands and feet, shocking the Stormtrooper captain to a stand still. Jumping up she spun to kick him in the head. His helmet fell off but he staid standing. Demira landed and unclenched her fisted hands. She jumped to him with fingers extended like claws, giving him three deep scratches in the form of a claw mark from his chin to his cheek. Then she kicked him in the stomach so that he was down for good.

Demira hunched over, her fingers used to scratch the captain now covered in blood. She gave an animalistic like sneer towards the captain and all the other Stormtroopers lying unconscious. She hissed, saying, "Oe nkell, Nyeoho…. Nyeoho…"

It was kind of scary to see, but the crew was quickly distracted when the sound of screaming was heard from inside the tanks. Belle had managed to break through the tank and pull out the drivers inside. He then, with his mouth, he threw them to the side of the clearing before moving on to break the canon's pipe. Sar Sar on the other had already broken the pope and as well as ripped up her entire tank to pieces. She got through to the cockpit where the drivers scrambled out of there without a second thought.

Depa gave a wave of her hands and Belle and Sar Sar lept off the completely destroyed tanks. Demira went up to nuzzle her Kuri before joining with Depa. The crew came up to them, Depa being the first to ask them. "Are you all right?"

"We're all good," Hera said, "Thanks to you."

"You both had a good handle of the situation," Sabine said. "You didn't even need to use your light—"

Depa held up a hand so that Sabine would stop talking. "I don't mean to interrupt my dear but…. Demira." Demira looked up at her. Then Depa said, "Tsnota po."

Without hesitation Demira turned around and charged away from them. The crew didn't understand what Depa had asked of Demira until they saw Kallus just a little ways away. He was on his knees and had slowly been inching to get his fallen bo-rifle when Depa had sensed him move.

Demira gave war cry and jumped on him, staff in hand. They both tumbled but Demira had maneuvered them so that when she stood up, she forced him to stand as well. She held her staff in both hands so that it was around his neck and she could pull him back. On instinct he put his hands on the staff to keep himself from chocking when she pulled hard. He thought he could get away by using his feet to kick back but he soon realized she made it hard too. She had on foot up against the back of his left knee forcing it to bend. If he kicked out with the other one, he would only fall. Kallus was trapped.

Demira hissed into Kallus's ear, "Don't move, Nyeoho."

Depa went up to Kallus to face him, the crew coming to stand just behind her. Kallus looked back and forth between every one of them, giving them nothing but a scowl. Zeb crossed his arms and said with a smirk. "About time someone put you one over."

"Feeling jealous it wasn't you, Lasat?" Kallus said back.

Zeb growled, "Why I atta—" Depa held up her staff, getting Zeb to stay quiet.

Putting it down, Depa said, "Kallus, is it?" Said man just looked at Depa with sheer anger. The Jedi continued. "I'm afraid your plan to capture the Rebels has gone awry."

"This plan maybe, but the Empire always comes back around. Stronger."

"Oh, I'm sure they do. No doubt."

Kallus looked at her confused, trying to understand the unexpected praise. He knew sarcasm, but this wasn't sarcasm. This women under the hood was being honest. "Who are you?" He asked.

"That is none of your concern," Depa said. "Now, you created much destruction on your way here, though I'm not surprised. But you did at least create an opportunity… for me. This will now mark the border."

"What border?"

"Between you and me," she said harshly. "You, the men down here with you, and on that Star Destroyer up there can't ever cross. Don't ever let me see you through again."

The crew looked a bit surprised. "Wait a second," Zeb began.

Even Kallus was concerned. "Hold on…."

"You're letting him go?"

"You're letting me go?"

Depa said, "We have no place to put him. I don't want him anywhere near…" Depa faltered. She looked at Demira. Through the eye holes of their mask, they locked gazes. Demira thought she was practicing the secrecy of the Tribe. But Depa knew that she not only had to protect the Tribe… She then shook her head, getting focused again and said to Kallus, "If we see you come through….. trust me this child here and the creatures are not going to be the worst you encounter."

The Kuru and Kuri came around next to the Rebels, growling towards Kallus to show off their power. Even Demira gave a growl of her own, making Kallus a bit nervous. He wasn't dealing with normal insurgents. Kallus looked at the Rebels who stood proudly behind Depa. It had been a while since they had gotten the jump on Kallus, so to see him at their mercy like this was victorious. Kallus didn't want to give them or the new strangers the satisfaction. "I'm a Commander in the Imperial Army, I don't take orders from the likes of you."

At this time the Stormtroopers began to wake up from the being knocked out during the attack. Depa had to think of something quick to get her warning through this man's thick skull. Then she thought that something unexpected happening that can never let him forget. She said to Demira still holding Kallus back, "Po lonu."

Demira hesitated, eyes darting from Kallus to Depa. Then she nodded. With great force, she thrust her spear to the side, taking Kallus with her. She threw him down into the ground so that he fell on his knees. Demira held her spear out in front of his face as he began to stand up and dust himself. Depa said, "Use at least your good judgment then and see yourself why you should leave now."

Kallus looked around. His whole squad looked hurt as they tried to regain themselves. Some who were already standing up had no idea what to do since their blaster were damaged and their tanks were destroyed. And they knew if they tried to attack, the same pattern would just occur:

Attack, then get it handed to them.

Kallus eyed the stranger with the staff, than their smaller companion with the spear. Then he looked at the Rebels. He said, "Squad V….. fall back. To the transport."

All the Stormtroopers hesitated but listened in the end, either walking or limping back into the direction they came from. Kallus felt immense embarrassed meant, so he felt the need to have the last word. "As you well know, this isn't over. Having conspired with these insurgents you both are now wanted criminals by the Empire."

"I'll remember that, thank you." Depa looked to Demira. "Sa'te."

Demira jumped forward, spooking Kallus to take a couple steps back as she gave him an animalistic hiss. Kallus looked at her with narrowed eyes before bending down to pick up his bo-rifle. He latched it to the strap on his back before walking over to where the Stormtroopers had gone.

"I hope you know what you did," Zeb said, "He can't be trusted."

"I'm sure you have every reason not to," Depa said to him, "But little acts of mercy can go a long way." Zeb nodded, taking that into account. He felt like he would have to remember it for some other time.

Once Kallus was out of sight, Sabine said, "That's some next level threat I've ever seen."

Ezra said, "Heck, even more than Hera, and she knows how to put one over the Empire."

"I'll admit I'm a bit Jealous…." Hera began, then she said with great Emphasis as she nudged Kanan on the side, "But hey, I'm just glad someone knows how to face the Empire head on and not hold back." Kanan looked at Hera knowingly before rolling his eyes.

Demira looked between Depa and the crew, smiling joyously. Ezra noticed. "Someone looks happy."

"I am!" Demira exclaimed, pulling off her mask. "Last time I saw Nyeoho, I was almost taken by them. Now that I know how to fight, I used my skills, and beat them!"

"What is Nyeoho?" Sabine asked.

"White Ghost," She said a bit embarrassed. "That's how I called them in our first encounter long ago and it has stayed that way."

"I like it!" Zeb said.

Demira looked at Depa with a smile. "Hear that Depa, I—" Demira stopped. She noticed Depa had crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. Demira huffed, slumping as she said, "I know, I know…."

"You completely disobeyed me," Depa said harshly. The crew stepped back, not wanting to get into the conversation now that it seemed like it would be an argument. Kanan watched intently though.

Demira said, "I felt All Mother, Depa…." Demira walked away from the group and went up to where the tanks had fired on earlier creating scorch marks that slowly began to burn out. "I ran to find it was the trees… pain Depa…"

Ezra frowned. He had felt it too when the tanks were clearing out a path earlier. That's what got Demira to come. Demira stopped just by the scorched ground and said with a look of dismay on her face. "And then I felt you….. Nga tse'a siku." Now it wasn't just the trees. Whatever caused Depa to freeze out when Kallus had her from behind also called Demira here.

Depa sighed and pulled her mask off, revealing a sad look of her own. "Siku vin." She then said to the others, "Let's go. The sooner we get to the ship, the sooner we can come up with a plan of defense."

Kanan thought it best to walk alongside Depa, to give her a sort of comfort that Demira hadn't given. Demira was still looking at the burning bush. Belle walked along with them as well as Sabine, Hera, and Zeb. But Ezra stayed as he watched Demira stay looking at the destruction the empire had caused to the land. In the corner of his eye, Ezra caught sight of the Stormtrooper helmet that once belonged to the one Demira had scratched. Ezra figured now Demira had scratched him… called him and everyone out…. For destroying this place. He picked up the helmet and went up to Demira. "This land really is a part of you."

"To all of us. Even if my people can't feel the pain like the Chief and I do… they know the land can feel hurt. Why do Nyeoho do this?"

"They just don't know it like you do. I'm glad that you taught me though." He held up the Stormtrooper helmet to her. She looked at him confused. "I used to collect helmets when I was living on the streets. I still kind of do, but I already have tons of these kinds. You should have it. To reminder of your first successful fight against bucket heads."

"Bucket heads… " She said. Then she giggled and grabbed it. "Thank you."

* * *

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 **A.N: Demira gets her first helmet, she is officially a young Jedi Rebel Padawan like Ezra. So whatever Depa goes into Demira is there to get her out, and they do one better by moving together and taking on the whole squad of troopers. But once their gone, even if the crew is releaved and celebrating, Demira and Depa seem to start showing some sort of weakness to their relationship, and Demira more a weakness in connection to her world. Next we're going to finally address more of the rivalry between Demira and Kanan. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace put!**


	24. Ch 23: Do You Miss It

**A.N: I have an announcement, stay tuned for the end. And Btw, how awesome was that Rebel's Finale am I right? Bendu was B-awsome! And Star Wars Celebration is soon. If anyone is going, go find a short Depa Billaba, that's me!**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 23: Do You Miss It?**

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Returning to the Ghost was easy, but finding Chopper as their greater wasn't so great. He came down the ramp of the entrance and started ranting in droid speak. He went up to Demira and pointed at her before waving his arms in all directions. Demira said, "He did that when I decided to come help you. I have no idea what he is trying to say."

"He said you left him high and dry," Sabine said.

"Don't take it personally, though," Zeb assured her, "He's just mad he got to miss out on all the fun." Chopper gave a growl, to which made Demira step back.

Depa came around and patted Chopper on the head, "Don't worry, we'll have plenty more action soon." She looked at Her and Kanan, "Won't we?"

* * *

Kanan and Hera sat together with Depa in the cockpit of the Ghost a few moments later. Since the power was still kept shut off to save for emergency, the only light was from the setting sun behind the mountain. Depa was saying, "If Garazeb is right about Kallus, I'm certain more reinforcements will come."

"Walkers and all I'm sure," Kanan muttered.

"Walkers?"

"AT-AT."

Depa stared at Kanan confused. "I'm sorry. I've been in this world for years. I don't know much of the new advancements."

"They're like giant tanks on legs. Taller than trees."

"The terrain will be too thick though for Walkers," Hera stated. "Probably just AT-ST's." She explained to Depa. "They're a bit smaller and on two legs. They can easily make it through jungle but easy to topple over."

"If we hit them with a strong ground attack, that could weaken AT-ST's and then weaken the rest of the ground attack altogether."

"If the Ghost isn't repaired then how will those walkers go down?"

"Demira and I have that covered. We can call for help, like we did when we thought you were an enemy ship."

"You mean with more Kuri?" Hera said unamused.

"Don't worry, they'll serve as protection instead of an attack. We just have to worry about the rest of the ground assault."

As she said that, all three of them heard laughter outside. They looked and saw Zeb, Ezra, Sabine, and Chopper surrounding Demira as they all sat down in the grassy clearing. Demira was holding her newly acquired Stormtrooper helmet. Whatever she had said made the crew laugh and Sabine looked like she had to explain something, making Demira look at her in wonder at the newfound information. "I guess we won't have to worry too much about that," Depa began, "After all, your knowledge of the Empire combined with mine knowledge as well as Demira' in the way of the land, we can hold ground forces back."

"There is still Phoenix Squadron," Hera said, nervously.

"You're right about the Star Destroyer," Kanan said to his Master. "They're going to bring it down and keep it hovering over us. But they know they can't get too close without letting their instruments get jammed by the strength of the Force. So their eyes will be up, not down on us all the time."

"Even with their eyes up we still have an advantage," Depa began, "Being so close to ground they won't see your squad coming until it's too late. By then the transmitter, when we get it working again, can be used to send out a warning signal to your squad. We'll ask for only the repair ship and a couple of fighters."

Hera finished, "So that the rest don't have to risk coming all the way down here and we can send them back out to safety."

"Some fighters won't be enough," Kanan said.

"Demira and I can take care of that too."

Kanan began with a slight tone of uncertainty, "You too seem to know exactly what you're doing—" Hera elbowed Kanan and the man quickly corrected himself with a lighter tone, "Which is really great."

Depa looked between Hera and Kanan, trying to get a sense of what just happened. Did Kanan not like the plan? Or was there more? Depa sensed a bit of hostility but it wasn't to Depa or Hera. In fact, it could be anybody, because this wasn't the first time Depa sensed negativity towards someone in in the last day. The problem is Depa couldn't tell who. Knowing that it was something between Hera and Kanan, Depa stood up and said, "Well… I'm happy to… hear that."

More laughter was heard outside and the three looked out to see the kids. Demira had put the helmet on her head and was trying to walk around but suddenly tripped. Ezra and Sabine went to go help her up. When she stood up, she took off her helmet and she said disappointed, "How does one see in this?" Then the others laughed.

The whole area became dark now, the sun having completely set behind the mountain and beyond the horizon. Everyone inside the ship and out looked up. Depa said, "Let's get a fire started and eat considering we're camping out again."

Since food from the pantry had run out or gone bad, Depa insisted she'd go find food in the forest. "A habit I picked up from the gatherers of the Tribe. Demira can help me—"

"How about I go with you," Hera said.

Everyone was a bit confused at her request, but didn't doubt she could do it. Hera was capable of learning quickly, so they didn't argue. But her next request was a little more odd. "Have Demira do the fire with Kanan."

Demira looked at her shocked while Kanan said skeptically, "And why not another pair?"

"Because I need the rest on the transmitter. We need to get it hooked up to the radio again and get ready to receive a message in case the fleet comes." Kanan new that was a reasonable excuse, but through the Force he could tell that wasn't the entire reason.

Depa looked around. She figured Hera didn't want to pair up with the person Kanan was having trouble with. But it didn't make sense if Ezra wasn't paired with him, and through the Force their bond was stronger than ever. So who was it? Again, Depa knew better then to ask in public. She would have to wait until later. Depa said, "Great idea." Without room for arguments, everyone dispersed leaving Demira and Kanan in the middle of the clearing standing next to each other. They looked at each other before they crossed arms and looked away with a pout on their face.

Demira had gone to gather would while Kanan stayed to collect tinder. When Demira came back she had several twigs and logs that were already dead. She came to find a small pit was made for the fire and Kanan had put the tinder. Demira got to the pit having an idea. She closed her eyes and used the Force to lift the wood and stacked them in a square shape. Ezra had come out by then from inside the ghost and watched amazed. He heard Kanan look at Demira with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think Depa teaches using the Force for menial tasks like that."

Ezra's eyes widened and he stepped back into the Ghost to watch. Demira looked at Kanan with a sneer. She grabbed the spark rocks and started to click them together to get a light, at one point she managed to do it, but she angled the rocks so that sparks jumped and landed on Kanan's shoulder. He bit his tongue but flinched at the sudden burn. With his hand he quickly patted it down. Demira said with a fake tone, "Whoops, I be the Force could have helped you see that." And Kanan looked at her with his own sneer.

Ezra ran back into the Ghost's table room. When he came in, Zeb and Sabine were still working on the transmitter. They had finished getting it connected to the radio and were now trying for a signal. "Hey guys," Ezra began. I've just been getting Force bits out of this but maybe t's not just an invisible thing. Do you guys see Kanan and Demira a bit…. Hostile?"

Sabine and Zeb looked at him a bit shocked. "We were just talking about that actually…"

Soon everyone was all sitting around the campfire. Ezra looked at his plate ad the held up a sort of fruit that was almost as big as his hand. Seeing he was having trouble figuring it out, Demira said, "Crack the Puja like this." Demira moved her knee up and then grabbed her own Puja fruit. She raised her Puja eye level, gave it some thought, then cracked the fruit right on her knee. It split in half revealing red seeds insides, hundreds of them. "See?"

"Ok," Ezra said, thinking he got the idea. He lifted his knee and then raised his Puja high.

Demira yelled, "Wait!" but it was too late. Ezra brought it down hard on his knee. It cracked into many pieces, seeds and fruit skin flying everywhere. The red seeds were filled with juices so the contact made everything splatter all over his face. Everyone stared at him for a moment, watching as Ezra spit out what got in his mouth and blinked his eyes open. He looked around and said, "What?"

Demira, Sabine, and Zeb laughed out loud. Hera and Depa tried to hold back a chuckle as Kanan shook his head but kept a smirk on his face. Demira grabbed an empty wooden bowl in her hands stood up and said, "I'll go get something to clean you up."

"Wait, Demira—" Depa began but Demira had run into the woods. "Oh well. She was going to get moss soaked in water, but…"

"Don't worry," Ezra assured her. "I'll just head to the sink."

As Ezra cleaned himself in the refresher of the Ghost, Hera said, "Demira just wants to help that's all." Then she took a glance at Kanan who frowned. Sabine and Zeb looked at each other. Well, obviously Hera had seen this hostility before anyone.

Depa said, "Yes. She'll have to get used to all these advancements she's never seen. After all, I've been out of the game for a long while myself. I had just learned about Walkers."

"Speaking about Walkers," Kanan began.

When Ezra came out, Demira hadn't come back yet. Depa was talking, "…. And Kanan just went tin and took them all by the legs." Everyone started to laugh.

"What?" Ezra asked, "What did I miss?"

Hera explained. "Kanan took his role very seriously as Padawan…very-"

Kana tried to reason, "Hey, Stance said to go for the legs. I went for the legs. And it worked. I took out a quarter of a droid army."

"By going for their legs? Well, not much has changed then I guess," Ezra said. "He went for a Walker back on Lothal that way."

"I told them…" Kanan said, pretending to be embarrassed, "But I should have known Depa would have brought up that story after. I walked into that one." Everyone laughed

Depa said. "Oh, this is the most fun I've had in a while when it comes to swapping battle stories."

"Fun, but cold…" Sabine said slightly shivering.

"On a night like this it's good to have Kuri and Kuru's to block the wind." She point at the creatures that had decided to surround them earlier and lay down behind them, blocking a gust of winds that came with the night. Everyone chuckled. "Yes," Depa said with a frown. That's when Kanan felt it. A small wave of sadness.

She missed being out there, and here she was stuck on this planet. She had a chance. Phoenix Squadron would be here. When they fix he ship, Depa could join them in the Rebellion. Kanan knew he shouldn't ask out right, so he started out small, "I guess you got used to a lot of knew things though."

"Yes…"

"Do you ever think though about being out there? I mean, do you ever think about…. Going back out into the worlds?"

It was quiet at first as Depa thought. And she didn't really need to because she knew the answer already. It came on instinct. Depa said, "Yes, I've thought about it."

The sound of something breaking was heard behind them and they all turned. At the edge of the clearing was Demira, frozen almost in a trance. A wooden bowl filled with water and moss was now broke at her feet. Her mouth was partly open as if she was going to gasp but couldn't do it. Her eyes began to shine with tears forming around her eyelids. She looked at Depa, "I knew it…" Demira said distantly.

"Demira?" Depa began to say, "What wrong?"

"You're, you're going back….

"What?" Depa asked confused and worried.

Demira suddenly became angry and yelled, "You're going back with him!"

Depa gasped and everyone became tense. They all knew exactly what Kanan's question meant to Demira. She thought Depa had agreed to leave.

"Demira hold on—" Depa could not even finish the sentence because Demira had turned to run back into the forest. "Demira wait! Wait!" Depa stood up and ran after her Padawan. Belle and Sar Sar had gotten up to follow the Master.

The whole team did too. But as they ran after Depa, Hera said to Kanan, "I can't believe you!"

"What?"

"Cut the bantha, Kanan, you know exactly what you did." And Hera managed to run past him a bit. Kanan looked at the others. They looked at Kanan a bit disappointed. What were they all thinking? He did nothing, right?

They found Depa standing on top of a small rock face that jutted out of the ground. "Demira! Answer me!"

"Where did she go?" Ezra asked.

"I don't know…" Depa held her forehead. "She's blocked herself from me. She's frustrated. We need to find her." Depa raise her head, put a hand to her mouth and gave a howl. A bit shocked the team watched as Depa stopped and listened. Then the Master said a nervously, "She usually answers back. Oh, what have I done?"

"Nothing, Depa." Her asked. "We'll find her though."

Sar Sar suddenly became excited and ran forward into the forest. Belle followed after. Depa yelled, "They have her scent, let's go." The team followed, but Kanan only ran a few yards before stopping. He saw tracks. Fresh ones hidden under some leaves. Demira had made Sar Sar take them in another direction, covering her tracks so no one would see where she went. Kanan called out, "Wait you're going the wrong-!"

"Not now Kanan." Hera said as they continued to follow the creatures farther and deeper into the forest.

Sar Sar had lead Belle and Depa into another clearing before stopping and becoming confused. The Ghost crew had made it by the time Depa figured out what Demira had done. "She lead us astray."

"She's good," Zeb said.

"Where's Kanan?" Depa asked.

"He must have actually found the right trail," Sabine said.

Depa looked at them a bit flustered, "Well, why didn't you say anything?"

"We didn't listen, we thought he was…" Hera rubbed the side of her temple. "I can't believe I didn't listen to him."

"Why not?"

Ezra asked, "I mean, Kanan and Demira hadn't been seeing eye to eye recently, as you know."

"As I know—oh—" Depa put a and over her mouth and turned away from them. "I should have known. I saw the signs but I was so blind. I felt the Force but I never knew… I couldn't believe Demira and Kanan wouldn't get along..." Before Depa could beat herself up more, she felt a sharp call through the Force. Depa became stiff and looked in the direction of where the river was. "Demira and Kanan, they're in trouble."

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 **A.N: Finally we're getting there. This is the moment I've been waiting for really. The next chapter mostly as well. We get some fun as well as some rivalry and then it all goes to shit. How are Demira and Kanan going to get along after this? You'll have to find out…. In a month. Yes. That's right. I have to put this story on hiatus for two reasons. One, I'm getting swamped with school work. Second, I realized my review and view rate has gone down. I want to wait until I get a little more views and reviews again before continuing. I just want to make sure there are people still reading. I'll be coming back to this story in May for sure. I love Depa to much to drop this story where it's at. So I'll see you then, I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**

 **Fun Fact:** Demira's outburst is based on Brother Bear 2, Koda's outburst to Kenei


	25. Ch 24: Falling

**A.N: So I'm back! So after today I'm going back to updating this story on Fridays, because switching to Sundays lost me a lot of readers so….. Anyway that aside, Star Wars Celebration was amazing! I got to meet the voice of Zeb and then Pablo Hidalgo who loved my Depa cosplay! But most importantly that Rebels Panel, I was crying! All the friends I made from online like Lorna Ka and Xennad, We all cried together! The fourth and last season how will we survive AGH! I'm in so many emotions! Wolfs! Kallus! Hera talking in past tense!**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 24: Falling**

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Kanan followed Demira's hidden tracks making his way through the deep undergrowth. He had left the group a while ago. He was already getting close to the edge of the forest where the trees met the edge of the canyon that dropped to the river for bellow. He could hear the sound of the rapids echoing along walls of rock. As he continued, he thought about how the crew had acted with him since Demira ran.

He should have figured that once Hera caught on to him, the others would to. But he had a reason. Demira was being stubborn and childish. Ezra had better sense then her. And especially towards Depa? Kanan was Hardly going to let that happen. His master deserved better. Kanan looked up from his trek and stopped. He saw that he had made it to the edge of the forest meeting the edge of the canyon, but what else was there made him freeze.

There was a hug tree trunk that had fallen by the looks of it a couple years ago. It was hollowed out by time, all the rotting left on the outside of the tree. It was still rooted to the edge of the canyon, and only made it half way across to the other side before it was cut off. There at the end, Demira sat hugging her knees to her chest. Since her back was to him, Kanan couldn't see her face. He guessed though that she was still upset.

Upset about what though? Depa answered a simple question, and Demira took it too far. He was going to approach her quietly but when Kanan walked out of the forest, Demira said out loud, "Go away."

Kanan stopped at the root of the tree, crossing his arms as he forced himself to stay calm. He went searching the entire area for Demira just to be rebuked. Kanan was so glad he was doing this for Depa, or his reaction would have started out a lot more tense. He didn't want to deal with this so he went straight to the point. "Look, instead of making things harder for the both of us, just come along and I'll take you back—"

"Leave me alone."

"I- hughhhh—" Kanan grumbled and rubbed his left temple. "Geez…Demira please. Depa is worried about you."

"She's not worried."

"What do you mean she's not worried? I was with her less than an hour ago and she had been screaming your name. She wants to know if you're ok."

"She wouldn't have said she wanted to go with you if she cared." Demira finally turned her head to look at him. Fury in her eyes.

"Go with me—What no— That wasn't what I was asking of her." Kanan shook he head. "You shouldn't make quick judgments like that."

Feeling like she was being challenged, Demira stood up and faced him, "So I am the one who is doing something wrong? What about when Depa was about to be shot by that Neyoho? You did nothing."

"She—she—" Kanan remembered the look in Depa's eyes when Kallus had the bo-rifle on her. Kanan took a deep breath, then said, "She didn't want me to."

"But that doesn't mean you should," She said harshly. "Why don't you care for her?"

"I do."

Demira stomped on the trunk making pieces of bark fall far down to the river. "Lair! When she told you to run, you ran!" Kanan froze. She was talking about…. That ….. Night….

Kanan lost his temper. "Hey!" He stepped on to the trunk and began to march towards her.

That didn't stop Demira. "I had to protect her. Even when I was young and I barely knew who Depa was. She was going to get killed. I stepped in, I saved her. You had run the night of the execution!"

Depa had told him what he did back then was all Depa wanted. Kanan was right. Demira was wrong. Kanan growled, "I did what I was told, something you seem to lack in." He leaned into tower over her, his weight making the trunk begin to tip forward a little.

"I knew it! You don't trust me with Depa!" Demira yelled, now going up on Kanan's face.

"Of course I don't! You're everywhere, you're not focusing on your Master's needs. Her wants. I mean like right now you ran because she had said she had thought of leaving. It's something she had wanted, why can't you let her decide."

Demira's fears rose, but she kept it at bay. She kept her stance. "Because she knows she can't go!"

"And why not? She's trapped here."

Demira slightly stumbled. Eyes going wide. Depa… she could never… "You know nothing of her, of me."

"Try me. I hear you're not even doing what your Tribe is asking of you. Finding your Mark? Can't seem to sit still can you?"

Demira's anger burst. She lunged at him like an animal and pinned him down on his back. "Not true!" the sudden weight loosened the roots of the tree on the edge. It made the trunk tilt more but again the fighting Jedi didn't notice.

Kanan growled and tried to push Demira off him, "Argh! Get off!"

"No!"

"I said OFF!" Kanan kicked Demira off him by the chest and she landed on her back at the edge of the trunk. That's when they heard it. SNAP SNAP SNAP! Both looked up in time to see the last of the root of the trunk snap off from it's hold on the edge of the canyon. They both tried to scramble to their feet to get off the tree but it was already too late. They both gave a yelp as they began to drop. They made a free fall towards the water below with the trunk. The two managed to think fast enough to cushion their fall into the water using the Force.

The plunge was quick but icy. Kanan, who wasn't used to swimming in the cold river had to push himself harder to get himself to the surface. He broke through with Demira just next to him, coughing up water. Then the two dispersed quickly as the trunk came down almost on top of them. They took to the sides, away from the impact point. But the splash and the churning water forced them under into a current below. Demira and Kanan regained their bearings and broke through the surface again. They swam to keep their heads up over the water but it was getting hard to with the rapids threatening to push them down. The problems only escalated when they realized the river was pushing the down river away from the waterfall…. And farther from where the crew and Depa were.

Another wave forces them underneath, but Kanan and Demira pulled themselves back up. Demira coughed up water before yelling, "We need to get out! There must be a shore nearby!"

Looking around, Kanan tried to find a way out. Even though it was dark, the light of the three moons managed to give enough light for Kanan to see something. Up ahead, far ahead, the canyon wall had suddenly ended and instead had a shore along the river. It was far to the left but if they swam towards it they could make it in time before it blew past them and the shore would turn back into the canyon walls again. And there would be no way out. Kanan yelled to Demira, "I found it! Come on!"

Demira was going to follow but stopped. The trunk that had fallen with them was coming towards Kanan. It was on its side with the trunk spinning around and around with the current. With the branches that struck out of it along with the speed of its spin, the trunk crushed other debris that got in it's way. Kanan was next. "Kanan!" Demira yelled.

"Just swim!" Kanan yelled back without looking back. He probably thought she was complaining. Demira grumbled and instead tried to use the Force to hold back the trunk coming towards Kanan. The water around her brought her quickly out of focus as it splashed and moved her around. Demira grumbled and knew she would have to do this physically, and possibly face certain consequences. But it was the right thing to do, no matter what. Demira swam as fast as she could towards Kanan, just as the trunk was getting closer.

When it was just next to Kanan, the man looked up in time to see it come over him, and then someone from behind push him far down bellow the water's surface. Demira had to jump on him from behind and push him far enough down so that the trunk wouldn't hit him, but Demira was in the way now. She too tried to get far bellow the water, but the trunk's branches managed to impale her. She gave a muffled scream under water as she felt something tear into her skin deeply on her left side. She braved through it though, waiting few moments before pulling Kanan and her back up the surface. As they both breathed air, Kanan managed to say, "Did you… did you just—"

"Just swim!" Demira pushed Kanan forward and they both swam to the shore. They made it to a small pool which made it easier to get to the shore from there. They trudged up the dry bank and fell on their knees to get their breath back. Demira held her side in pain, regretting it when she realized Kanan was next to her on the same side.

He saw her wince and hold her wound. He said slightly sympathetic, "You got hurt… by the trunk."

"Doesn't matter." Demira hissed. She sat up so that when she was sitting down her back was too Kanan. She leaned over and held her side but made no noise or complaint. She didn't want to show Kanan that she was weakened. She could still watch over herself.

Demira heard Kanan scuff, "If that's not treated right—"

"It will become infected and fester. I know…" she said again with a hiss, but more forced now that she was trying to hold back small boughts of pain. She looked down at her hand and saw between her fingers blood was began to come through. Demira then looked up. "But not here." She pointed to a slope up ahead. Instead off being straight up and down like a wall, rocks were scattered all around to make an incline that was angled enough for anyone to climb. "We must go up there."

"Why? We can wait here for the others to find us. Hera will bring the ship around and then we'll medical supplies."

As she stood up slowly, Demira said, "To treat the wound right I must treat it right away and not wait. The forest will provide the medicine I need. As for the ship, it will be easier for them to find us up top then down here. There is no place to land your Ghost."

Kanan insisted, "Wait, those rocks look unstable."

She looked around and said. "I've been here with Depa. The first time when we were chased by Neyeho off the cliff on the other side." She pointed behind them, specifically to the wall of the canyon across the river.

Kanan looked and then set his eyes to land at the top of the cliff. "You've fallen off before?" he almost yelled.

Almost relinquishing the memories, Demira smirked. "Twice. But when not falling off, we come to the shore to play by the shallow bank." She pointed back to the rocky slope. "We come down from there."

"Huh…" he said sounding impressed as he stood up.

Demira snorted and stood straight, for once feeling she had accomplished something that Kanan understood. "Yes, I know how to get around—agh—" she closed her eyes, leaned over, and held her wound tighter. "Haarte!" She cursed.

Kanan looked and this time he reached out but she hissed again, "Don't…" Then Demira started to walk to the slope.

Kanan was going to make another comment but something told him to just…. hold back. So far Demira had kept a level head since the drop. She recognized the situation. They had dropped far, so they needed to go up. She had been here before so she knew going to the rocks were ok. And better yet she knew medicine can come from plants and due to her people living off the land. Demira knew where to find it. She had great observation skills and… she saw the trunk coming…. And she warned him.

Kanan face palmed. And he had ignored her. She had just been trying to help, and in addition, she took the hit for him. With no complaints, Kanan followed behind her. The two began their trek up the rocky slope. Yes, the rocks were definitely stable but soon Kanan realized the best way to climb was all four limbs. Kanan was doing fine with both hands secure on the rocks at all times, but then he looked to Demira. She was struggling. With one hand on her wound, she only had the other to keep herself grounded. He didn't say anything about it, but he waited. He had a feeling…

Demira continued to climb but she started to get a little worried when Kanan started climbing fast enough to be right next to her. She scowled. Was he trying to get to the top first. She would she show him…. She tried to reach farther up the rock than usual but when she grabbed hold of the rock her fingers slipped. Her momentum going back made her right foot give way so that she fell on her side… her wounded side. She finally couldn't hold in the pain she had been keeping back. She let out a strangled cry. She forced herself to take a deep breath and pull herself together, but it was hard when at the same time she was slowly slipping down the rocky slope. Kanan on instinct scrambled up to help her. She started getting up and saying weakly, "I'm…. fine…."

Kanan didn't say anything, but he just did what he knew he had a right to do… help. He grabbed her hand that wasn't holding her wound and put it around his shoulders. Even though she continued to persist that she was ok, Kanan didn't stop. He put a hand around her back and said, "I know you're fine, now climb."

Demira opened her mouth to argue but then shut it. She didn't want to admit it, but really she was in a situation she couldn't climb up on her own, even if she knew her way around better than him. Besides, when she looked up, the slope looked a lot farther up than she usually thought it was. Perhaps it was her draining energy making her feel this way. She accepted Kanan's help and the two continued their climb.

* * *

Depa had brought the crew to the edge of the canyon where Depa last felt their calls for help through the Force. Ezra was practically inches from jumping off the edge, worried for his master. He too felt the call through the Force as Depa had. But Depa wasn't crazy. She reached a handout and pulled Ezra safely away from the edge. The crew looked around, Sabine saying, "There tracks end here." She pointed to a part of the edge of the canyon. There was freshly broken tree root and parts of the rock edge were gone.

"What happened here?" Hera asked.

"It finally gave way…" Depa said. "A tree that grew on this edge toppled over many years ago but it didn't fall all the way. It stayed rooted but created a sort of half bridge. She must have come here, and Kanan followed her… they both got on top…. The trunk wasn't strong enough to support them."

"Then they did fall!" Ezra yelled, getting nervous and going to the edge again.

This time Zeb pulled him back, saying, "Ok, I don't think Kanan would want you to follow right behind him."

Hera came next to Ezra, "If anything they used the Force to cushion their fall. They'll be fine…" Then Hera muttered, "He's not that stupid." Sabine and Zeb looked at each other. Hera did have a point, but they knew she was still worried, for Kanan especially.

"But we got to still try and find him. If they survived then they must be out in the wilderness somewhere" Ezra insisted. He turned to where Depa once stood next to him and began to say, "Depa can you—Depa?"

She had unbeknownst to them walked little ways away from them. She was still by the edge and stopped so that she got a better view of the where the river went. It was still hard to see the end since the canyon curved. That's when the Kuru and Kuri came out from the forest. They slowly walked up to the master, Bele putting his head down to rest on Depa's shoulder to comfort her. She stroked him back without looking. Sar Sar was a little more nervous. She kept making squawking sounds, flicking her tail back and forth, and turning her head every which way. Depa pulled away from Bele and went up to Sar Sar. Sar Sar brought her head down so that Depa could give her a comforting pat on the head.

That's when Depa finally spoke, "I claim to know my Padawans well, clearly, I am mistaken."

"Depa it's not your fault," Hera said, coming up to her. "Kanan is a little more stubborn than you remember."

"You may be right," Depa said, "He used to get jealous every once in a while, at least when his experience was questioned, but he never did let his jealousy be the fault of creating ties with people. Yes, he's more stubborn now, but he has matured in more than I could ever hope."

"You weren't talking about just Kanan…" Zeb began.

Depa sighed. "Demira learned a little while ago how to block her emotions and her Force signature from others, especially from Kerchec and Bruton. She's done so better than me, but I never knew…. She would willingly block me" Depa closed her eyes and held her staff tight in hand. "I answered that question and therefore her blocking me is not entirely her fault. She doesn't want me to find her she doesn't want even Sar Sar to find her." Said creature gave a squawk and stepped back away from Depa.

Depa was shaken out of her distant behavior. She knew right now she couldn't act lost, not in a situation like this she had to assure the crew. She said confidently, "And so, since Sar Sar can't pinpoint her then it won't be safe to go looking for them tonight."

"Why?" Ezra asked. "Even if Sar Sar can't track them, and Demira is blocking you, I can still find Kanan."

"And I'm sure you can, but that would require you to go on foot. And in the jungle… like I said before there worst things then Kuru's and Kuri's out in the jungle. Kanan wouldn't want you to get hurt looking for him."

"But of those things are out there, then won't they find Kanan and Demira?" Ezra asked, worried now.

Depa put and assuring hand on Ezra's shoulder, "Demira knows the land. If there is one thing I can be certain of she and Kanan will be fine with her survival skills. And knowing Kanan has is own survival skills. They'll both be fine, and then will search for them first thing in the morning." All Ezra could do was a nod, acknowledging her word.

* * *

.

* * *

 **A.N: Things escalated hahahah! AHHHH! So Demira went too far and then Kanan followed just behind, now they're struggling to just get along while surviving. Meanwhile everyone just has to trust that Kanan and Demria know what to do. Next, will being alone give Kanan and Demira a time to talk or will they forever hold a grudge. Find out next, I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	26. Ch 25: Oe Ngat Kame

**A.N: I hate this Rebels Hiatus save me! And the fact that all my other shows, mostly CW DC heroes, all going into hiatus after this week…. Ugh!**

 **Retrokill: Hi! And Hahahah… please no… no dying #ProtecttheGhostCrew2k17. Yes a disturbance for now but by the end of this…. The future will possibly be more peaceful.**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Oe Ngat Kame**

* * *

Finding a small clearing no bigger then the span of a small fighter, Kanan and Demira decided to rest there for the night. Kanan had picked it out and Demira really didn't mind, so the older Jedi figured it was because Demira was in no hurry to be found. And then there was her wound. Demira insisted that she gather on her own the supplies she needed to treat herself, though Kanan still did keep an eye on her. He was kneeled in front of a spot on the ground he set as a fire pit. Rocks circled a dirt spot with collected logs and twigs as Kanan got working on chipping two rocks to get a spark.

When he couldn't get a fire going, he muttered to himself and then looked at Demira to see if she was doing any better. Demira now sat against the trunk of a tree behind Kanan. As Demira cleaned her wound, Kanan finally got a look at it. The branch had not cut too deep, but it was a long gash that went from her side bellow her top and then cut diagonal across her bellow her naval. Kanan winced, seeing blood continue to drip from her wound. It hurt just looking at it. Demira had cleaned her wound with wet moss but was working on grinding some sort of plant into a pulp between two rocks. She took the pulp in her hand and started putting it on her wound. She hissed in pain, probably because it stung, but she kept going. Then she rolled her eyes and said angrily, "Will you stop looking? I'm doing fine."

Kanan blinked and fully turned his head to her. "Look, just because we don't see eye to eye right now doesn't mean I can't worry."

"I don't want you to worry… I don't want anyone to worry." She looked back at her wound. Kana turned back to the fire and tried to chip the rocks together. He finally got a spark to light the logs on fire. He suddenly heard Demira give a grunt. He quickly looked back and saw her leaning over and hold her wound. Kanan noticed she had been grinding the plant to get more pulp but exerted herself too much she irritated her wound. Kanan shook his head and went over to her. As he kneeled next to her she said, "Do you not listen—"

"Well, do you?"

Knowing he was talking about the argument they had back at the cliff, Demira huffed. Kanan grabbed the rocks and grinding the plant into a pulp, just like Demira had done but much quicker much. She looked a bit amazed and said, "You learn quickly."

He gave her a raised eyebrow but made no sly remark. He just said, "I observe," and handed her the rock with pulp. As Demira applied more, Kanan decided to return the compliment. "You do too."

"I grew up here. It is only logical."

"I guess, but I don't think your people taught you how to fight with the Force combined with the land. Depa never trained me like that. The vines are a neat trick."

"It may have been my idea, but Depa and I developed it…together." Demira stopped adding pulp to her wound and looked at the fire with a distant gaze. Quickly she recovered, reached to get the last of the pulp to put on her wound before saying, "Thank You."

Kanan didn't know if she meant for the compliment or for helping her heal, but he just said, "You're Welcome."

The two now sat quiet side by side looking at the fire in front of them. They felt tired, but Kanan at they couldn't stay the whole night. They just needed to rest for now, but the crew had to at least come and find them. Demira may know how to keep the wound from getting infected but she still needed the right equipment to heal completely. He could try contacting the Ghost through the com but then he remembered the interference with the Force in this wilderness. Maybe he could connect…. With Ezra. Kanan sat cross legged and closed his eyes. Demira watched him intently as he let himself relax and focus. He tried to extend his senses to reach out and connect with Ezra, but not even a few seconds in and the Force all around him was confusing him.

He muttered to himself, making Demira ask, "What's wrong?"

"Ugh, nothing just…. can't seem to find Ezra through the Force all around. It's so strong."

Demira giggled but said in understanding, "It takes a while to get used to it. When Depa first taught me to listen all around me, I had a headache for a little while after. Even she had trouble too, but she's the one who figured out how to single out one Force signature through so much life surrounding us."

Kanan got an idea. "Hey, since you know how…. Maybe you can call to Depa. Let her know where your Force Signature is so she can find us."

Demira's widened and she looked away. "I…. I can't."

"You can't, but you just you could." Demira pulled her legs closer to a tighter cross-legged form. She looked down at the ground, not wanting to look Kanan in the eye. "Demira please, we got to at least let them know we're ok."

"Depa wouldn't care…" Demira continued to look at the ground.

"What do you mean she wouldn't—" Kanan had a slight twinge of Deja-Vu. "Oh..." Kanan suddenly remembered the conversation back up at the cliff. "You think Depa doesn't care for you." He also remembered what got her to run away in the first place. Yelling didn't work in trying to figure out her reaction the first time. But Kanan still needed to know what got Demira so upset. But he needed to find out in a more calm manner. "I only asked Depa is if she ever thought about going back the other worlds. All she said was that she thought about it. Nothing more. How does her answer mean she doesn't care for you?"

Demira said nothing at first and still looked at the ground. But Kanan could see she was trying to just compose herself. Kanan heard her sniffle and saw wipe her nose. She was trying not to cry. Then she seemed to relax a little but still said with a croak in her voice. "She said...She said she actually thought about going back. How could we… we're…."

"You're…." Kanan inclined.

Demira took a struggled deep breath and then looked up at Kanan. "I was only a year into my training…. Depa and I had gathered in a clearing with the Tribe. I thought after a year I would have earned some trust. Children my age… they still thought of me as… different. They played a prank on me, wanted me to use the Force to connect with a whole heard of Buyda. Big creatures, can topple down trees with big horns. They're stubborn. The connection didn't work. I created a stampede. Almost killed the Tribe. Shaman got mad and blamed me, saying I was a danger to the Tribe and that I didn't belong. I… I be—"

Demira had to quickly stop to keep herself from vocally choking up. She hid her face again, looking at the ground and letting her long hair fall over her eyes. Kanan saw her shoulders shake in response to her growing silent sob. To comfort her, Kanan put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it tight. Her head shot up in surprise at his act, but then she figured. She shouldn't be surprised. So far, even when she yelled at him, he has done what he could to help her even when she was hurt physically. Emotionally he was no different. Demira gained the strength to continue as she wiped away tears. "I believed the Shaman and then ran away to the caves." She pointed to the mountain far across the river. "Depa found me, came to me and said I shouldn't listen to the others. I should listen to the Force when I'm troubled. But she told me the same thing many times before. It was not the first time I messed up and I was made the shame of the Tribe. So she did something different."

Demira began to draw on a dirt spot on the ground. Kanan saw three stick figures, one smaller then the other two. Demira explained, "This is the depiction of a family, the necessity to be a Zuri. This is the Mark, the Chapa, of the Tribe. Depa and I were able to earn our place because through each other we understood what family meant."

Kanan suddenly remembered something. "You called Depa 'Ma'Te' the other day. Does that mean…. Mother?"

Demira nodded. "And Soai means Family. Depa reminded me that since we are bonded, then we must stick together. We must keep each other close. This will forever remind me we are never alone, even if we felt we were the only ones."

"So when she said she thought of ever being out in the other worlds, it was like asking if…."

"If she would go with you now that she has a way to leave. She would go with you and she would leave me. She would break our Soai…. "

Kanan kept his hand on her shoulder but had to look away to keep the guilt from being noticeable. He should have known it from the beginning. Demira being all over Depa and more than just Master and Padawan. Kanan felt the sparks between their Force bond… it was so surreal yet so familiar. It was surreal because he never thought it was possible to see it from Depa, but so familiar because Kanan felt that family bond… with Ezra…a and the whole the crew.

But the guilt came from more than just being blind to their bond. "I…. I never meant to be verbal about it, but I will be honest. I was going to ask Depa to join me and the crew, leave Panama, and fight in the Rebellion."

Demira looked at Kanan, hurt and betrayal all over her face. Kanan tried to correct himself by waving his arms and saying, "This before learning about you now… before I actually took the time to listen to you. Can, can you give me a chance to explain?" Demira pursed her lips as if debating if she should, but then she realized what he said. He took the time to listen, and it was true. He could have been like Shaman, sayings she was just whining but Kanan was more like Depa now with mind wide open. Now it was Demira's turn. She acknowledges Kanan's request with a nod.

Kanan nodded back and began to explain. "When I frost met you, the first thing I thought about was how much you and Depa were a contrast to each other. Depa so calm and you are so… I don't think it's appropriate now but…I thought undisciplined. I felt like sometimes you didn't listen to Depa even in simple request like eating healthy and not using the Force during a simple chore. But then I realized something…. Ezra and I contrast just in the same way. Granted, the problem with him was that he was stubborn and that you were just hyper. But you both were not raised in the temple, and you both didn't grow up with discipline a Jedi Youngling would learn in the early days of their lives."

"If I am like Ezra…. Hard to be disciplined, why get mad at me?"

"Because I'm not your Master. Depa is. Whenever Ezra fails, I found myself blaming me for his failures because he is my responsibly. When I was training under Depa, I would blame myself for my failures because I felt a responsibility that I had to learn as a Padawan. Depa was my master so…. I automatically blamed you as a burden to her. It led me to believe that maybe she would be better off back out in the worlds. She did she missed it. And she could put her talents to use… to fight in the Rebellion. But now I understand how strong this bond is, this feeling of family… of Soai. And the fact that she came to you that day you created the stampede and reminded you of your bond, I see she really does care. And I see it now too. She was desperate to find you. She loves you, and I created a rift between you. I'm so sorry, Demira. I'm sorry for what I said about you and Depa up at the cliff. You don't deserve that." Kanan looked away.

A moment of silence passed, a moment of guilt being built up again. Then he felt a hand on the hand he had placed on Demira's shoulder. He looked and saw Demira squeezed his hand back as she looked him straight in the eyes and said, "I forgive you, Kanan. You never meant to hurt anyone. You just wanted to help Depa. And… And I don't entirely blame you. I don't want to see it but it is slightly true. I am a bit undisciplined. Depa sometimes tries to teach in the ways of the Jedi at least in how important it is to protect the light side of the Force. To teach me something that I can pass down. But it's just sometimes I see the Jedi way as too strict. I like to add a little fun."

"I've noticed. You laugh every time you achieve in using the Force for something. I mean, to have a little fun and get a new spin on the Jedi ways is not bad. I mean, in teaching Ezra, I learned I don't have to be entirely strict to the Jedi codes. It's ok to have a little emotion drive you. It makes you more of a living person."

"Exactly!" Demira said excitedly that Kanan understood. Then she frowned. "But yes I do take it too far… at least that's how Depa makes it seem. I understand that I have to obey her orders because she knows more than I. But Depa and I, our bond as Soai, we need to protect each other. Depa sacrifices so much, why can't I? Why must she tell me to flee, when she is clearly in danger?"

Kanan thought back to the answer Depa gave him about the night of Order 66. He said, "Because she wouldn't have it any other way. She cares for you. She doesn't want you getting hurt. Especially with the bond you two have, she also has the role of protecting you."

"But she doesn't have to. Me…. and the Tribe…. We helped Depa survive because she didn't know the land unlike us. There was nothing her that could put me in danger."

"But today you faced something you don't normally face. The Empire.

"But she was in danger so I had to come and save her."

"I guess you had a right to disobey staying behind with the shame. I'm grateful you came to her rescue. But by the looks of it the Empire will keep coming to find us. What if you were both in danger? If she told you to run, would you?"

Demira opened her mouth as if she knew the obvious answer. But then she closed her mouth realizing how hard it was to answer the question. She then said slowly, "Depa told me she never regretted telling you to run. She would do it all over again even if it meant she wouldn't survive like she had. Because of her love for you like a son, I understood why she told you to run. But I never understood why you ran…. Until now. You were her Padawan, you were doing what she told you. You care for her, for her wants. Kanan, I should be the one that is sorry. I should never have said what I said at the cliff, too."

"And I forgive you, too."

"Oe Ngat Kame."

"Excuse me?"

"It means I see you…"

"Um…"

Demira shook her head put kept a smile. "The deeper term is…. I understand you because I see you in a new way…"

Kanan pondered. It seemed fitting. "Oh, then I guess… Oe nat kamee?"

Demira pulled away from him and began to giggle. She said, "You're as bad a Depa when she first started to learn our language."

Kanan pulled away from her and said sarcastically, "Well you try learning a language on the run from the Empire and then you'll see how hard it is."

Demira and Kanan laughed together before finally settling down. "Wait…." Kanan said, "You said Depa loved me like a son?"

"She said it took her a while to figure it out, but she really cares for you like you're her own."

"Huh…." Kanan now wondered maybe back then as Caleb that he felt a familial connection with Depa. It made sense now too. She was a crying mess when seeing him here and alive. Kanan smiled. He liked the idea of Depa being a sort of surrogate mother. "Then he noticed Demira frown. "What's wrong?"

"I know you said your question was only meant to ask if she ever thought about being out there in the other worlds. But she still did say yes…"

"Hey, like I said. I realize now that you guys are family. She would never intentionally."

"But you were right about one thing back on the cliff. Does she care for me enough to…. I mean….She has been here for so long….she has a choice to leave… And with the Empire becoming stronger and her ability to fight alongside you in the rebellion she could…"

"With what's going on up there, she would leave you to fight the good fight?"

"Would she?"

"I, I don't know… I can't answer for her." Demira looked at her hands and said nothing. Kanan sighed, "You still think she doesn't care, huh?" Demira then looked off in the direction the ship would be. Kanan did too. Wanted to be found by the others as soon as possible. Even if Demira tried to connect to Depa it wouldn't work. She wasn't emotionally ready. "We'll rest her for the night."

"Creatures that hunt, like the Iuchi, will be out there, preying on sleepers like us. When Depa and I stay out late, we take shifts…."

"Ok, but I'll get first watch. You need to rest." He pointed to her wound.

Demira looked at it then nodded back at him. "Thank you." Demira laid down on her unhurt side, gently getting comfortable in a curled position. But before she could rest her eyes, Demira looked at her hands… scared. "I can't be alone…" she whispered.

"What?"

"No-nothing… good night."

"Good night."

* * *

The _Relentless_ was quiet, save for a few buttons being press from one control panel to another in the cockpit. Up front and facing the windows, Fifth Brother and Seventh Sister stood quietly with eyes closed. From the back of the room, the main doors slid open and Kallus came walking in. He slowly went down the aisle, not wanting to disturb the Inquisitors. But he should have figured by now that the Force would have let them know of his arrival. "Captain…" Fifth Brother began. The two inquisitors opened their eyes to face said man.

Kallus said, "I went through records as you requested and you were right. There is a file even for a planet as desolate as this. The name is set Unknown but the Empire does have a brief history with it. A squad of troops had been deployed there to track down a fugitive that had gone into hiding here. None survived. The Missions was still deemed a success though when the fugitive tried to escape on a stolen transport but was shot down. No Imperial force has ever come since."

"Does it say who the fugitive was?"

"It does and much more if you have clearance as high as the Emperor himself. Even the name of the lead of the ground attack is blacked out."

Brother and Sister looked at each other confused until understanding quickly replaced the confusion. Fifth Brother asked one more question, as to be sure of something, "When was the report issued."

"Ten years ago."

The Seventh Sister smiled wickedly and said, "Rumor though the Inquisitor Initiative sais that a Jedi Councilman of the Republic had survived and was on the run. Lord Vader had sent a special operative to eliminate them. This was ten years ago and to this day it is still nothing but a tall tale since we don't know who the councilman was or how the confrontation ended."

"But it does seem appropriate that a surviving Jedi would come here," Fifth Brother added.

Kallus cut in, "Jedi or not, the fugitive was reported killed."

"Perhaps, but this planet is full of the living Force…. The light side to be exact. It's as if the planet itself doesn't want our presence here. It is a perfect place for a Jedi…. Or at least a Jedi's legacy to be left to grow. Kallus, your description of the masked adult stranger that was with these band of Rebels is that of a Jedi at their highest peak of concentration."

"Even though the stranger had no lightsaber," Seventh Sister said, "There were two of them, both using the living Force around them."

"The Jedi left a Legacy to grow powerful to defeat today's ground attack. And now that they are united with the Rebels Jedi, they will attempt something bigger. Tomorrow morning, we destroy this legacy permanently."

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **A.N: Finally Kanan and Demira will stop going at each other's throats. But there are still some things left unsaid. It's up to Demira and Depa now. As for the Inquisitors, hopefully, everyone is ready because they're coming. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	27. Ch 26: What I Am

**A.N: Remember guys, I'm upating Fridays. Yeah TGIF! And I fixed the update becuase I accidently posted a chapter from my other SWR fic. Thank Berzerkerprime for telling me! Things will finally go back in order after this. Also, I hate this Rebel Hiatus!**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

* * *

 **Chapter 26: What I Am**

* * *

Ezra woke in his bunk on the Ghost, Zeb still snoring on the bed beneath him. The first thing that came to mind were the events of yesterday. And that's what got him dressed and out of the room quicker then he ever had before. Thinking he was the only one who had woken up earlier, he rushed out to the storage room but was surprised to see the ramp already open. He saw sitting cross legged just at the bottom of the ramp and on the grass was Depa. She was meditating, probably still searching for Demira and Kanan through the Force. Ezra hoped she hadn't been doing it since everyone went to bed. The last time he saw her was go into Hera's room for the night. Did Depa get any sleep? Curled up close to her, head down on the grass, was Bele. Even though he was close to his rider, his eyes were fixated on his fellow flyer.

Ezra looked up and saw Sar Sar patrolling the clearing. She kept going around and around, as if hoping to catch a glimpse of her missing rider. Everyone was looking for someone, even Ezra. He came down slowly, not wanting to disturb the Master Jedi from deep concentration and then sat down next to her. He could probably join her in searching for Kanan and Demira, though he would be little to no help as he was before. Turns out he didn't have to worry for long. Sar Sar needed some entertainment. Seeing Ezra, she trotted up to the boy and rammed her head into him. "Ow! What the—"

The creature laid down on the grass in front of him but kept her head on his lap to relax on. Ezra looked at the deep emerald eyes in shock, seeing a glint of sadness in them. To calm the creature down, Ezra stroked Sar Sar on the head.

"She's getting impatient," said Depa suddenly. Ezra eyed the Jedi as she opened her eyes and stood up. "But I do not blame her. We should be heading out soon but… I do hope Demira had opened herself up for me to find her."

"I'm sure she will enough for at least Sar Sar to track her. She wouldn't close herself off from you forever."

"If only it were that simple with this Tribe."

"What do you mean?"

"When Demira and I became part of the Tribe, we became a family not only by custom but by bond. And we are, we are what they call Soai. But for one such as me to even suggest ever living beyond Panama, it's like a suggesting we leave our family behind."

"It's that deep, huh?"

"More then you can imagine."

Ezra looked up at the Ghost. "I can imagine."

They heard Chopper give grumble like sound suddenly behind them. The two Jedi looked back and saw the droid mumble something in droid speak. "They're waking up then?" Ezra asked.

The droid let out another sound, making Depa say, "Good." Depa looked up at the sky, seeing it turn pink as the sun began to rise. "Because it's first light, just like I promised. Let's go find them."

* * *

Demira woke Kanan at the light of dawn, having taken the last shift for the night watch. When the older Jedi shook his sleep away, he noticed Demira's wound had not only stopped bleeding but the skin had come together again. The only thing left was a thin red line of the scar. "That plant does wonders."

"The pulp burns to seal wounds as if to cauterize it. But only for small wounds like these." The girl stood up and stretched her arms as if she was warming up. "All right, let's go."

Surprised, Kanan stood up and said, "It looks like you're ready then."

Demira frowned, knowing what Kanan meant. She said, "No. But I have to take you to your friends. To Depa. They're all probably worried for you."

"And you," Kanan assured her. She looked away from him. "Still think she doesn't care?"

"No, I know she does, but…. I understand she has a choice to leave too…"

Kanan put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Everything's going to be alright."

Demira continued to frown, but she looked up at him to acknowledge his words. Then she turned around and said, "Come."

The walked along side each other as together they made their way through the forest. Demira took the lead keeping track of the sound of the rushing water and keeping the mountain on their right. They never made a turn. Soon they got to a familiar place. Depa's border she claimed to Kallus yesterday. Demira looked with dismay at the trees that had been uprooted. Kanan saw the look on her face as she stopped to stare at the broken clearing. "I wasn't vocal about it, considering you and I were indifferent then. But I did feel the Force react to the destruction. Pain."

"It's ok. Ezra told me. I figured you did too. The Empire just doesn't understand." Demira's eyes trailed down to the ground and she gasped.

"What?" Kanan asked.

A sudden spike of fear radiated off of Demira before it was replaced with anger. Kanan looked down and saw the source of her emotions was a couple of foot prints. Kanan became curious because they were bigger then Demira, and yet she was the only one who could have possibly come by here barefoot. Unless someone else came? But who? Demira took a deep breath and her anger dissipated quickly. She said, "The sound of destruction must have have brought the Nomads all the way out here." Kanan nodded, finally understanding. Demira then said, "Let's hurry out of here, in case they decided to stay around."

Demira then began to march across the clearing and back into the jungle. Kanan followed right behind, curious as to what Demira meant. He asked, "Why hurry? Depa said they're solitary."

"And mean."

"Mean? But she said if you don't bother them, they don't bother you."

"Depa has only seen Nomads from afar, but not up close. Our Tribe every two season ends up having to confront them. We fight sometimes but only if necessary. But we do not intend to fight them. They are the ones who want to fight."

"Why?"

Demira grumbled as they reached the end of the clearing and got back on the trail in the jungle to the Ghost. Demira then said, "It is too hard for you to understand. Even Depa doesn't understand. You have to know them to understand."

"Stop right there" Kanan held up a hand in front of her so that they both halted. He then turned to her and said, "Look, may I remind you we fell off a cliff because we misunderstood each other. Maybe you don't know them the way you think you do. Oe Ngati Kame…. I understand you…. You told me that yesterday."

"Depa once tried the same thing, but she knows with me it will never work."

"And why not you?"

"I… I ….. I want you to understand me Kanan. I want to, really. But this is… this part of my life…" Demira faltered. "I don't like it."

Kanan considered her words and then her angry reaction to the Nomads. "Did the Nomads do something to you?"

Demira crossed her arms and looked away. Kanan scratched the back of his neck, unsure of what to do. Demira didn't want to talk about it, and Kanan knew better then to pry it out of her. He tried one last thing, something that can hopefully get Demira to willingly tell him. "I want to understand." She said nothing. "It's all right." Kanan patted her on the back and said, "Let's keep going then."

Demira looked up as she saw Kanan begin to walk away. On instinct she followed behind him but she couldn't stop looking at him as if he had grown eight arms. Kanan was so much like Depa now, it was almost instinct for Demira to just…. tell him. Demira pondered and then realized. Why not? This was Depa's former Padawan who was now taking the time to understand her. Demira picked up the pace and walked next to Kanan. It was just a few moments of silence, until out of the blue, Demira said, "They left me to die." Kanan's eyes widened and he looked down at Demira. She looked ahead but continued, "I was three years old, on the brink of starving and freezing to death as I cried over being left alone in a clearing. Chief found me and brought me to the Tribe. Them and the Shaman were all anxious about me. The clearing I was found is the same clearing the Nomads settle in every year. It was obvious where I came from and why I was left behind."

"So, you're not born into the Tribe, so what? And I'm sure something must have happened for the Nomads to accidently leave you behind."

Demira smiled and said, "Depa has said the same thing. But Nomads have been known to leave their weak behind. I must have been weak to them. That's why Nomads are dangerous to the Tribe, because they do not know what Soai is, they do not care."

Kanan suddenly figured it out. "Depa said the Tribe didn't trust you when you were growing up because you had no control of the Force. But it was more then that."

"They trust me partially now because I understand the Force better. After all, our Chief and Shaman are chosen by their ability to speak to All Mother. But now you understand that there is a part of me that keep them from trusting me." Demira held up her hands and looked at them in disgust. "I'm Nomad."

Kanan sighed solemnly. "I'm sorry to hear hey don't trust you. If it's any conciliation, I never got to know my parent either, so to some they would think I would have no idea what family is. But even if I was raised in the Temple, Depa kept a familial ground for me to learn under. And the Crew, I've learned so much from them about family too. So just because you were born Nomad, you were raised Tribe. You understand family just as much as them."

"You and Depa learned about family in more ways then one. I appreciate you telling me. But being a part of the Tribe is a whole other… what is it that Ezra says—ah yes. A whole other level." Kanan grunted, worried that Ezra taught her more then just that. Demira continued, "I try and prove that I am one of the Tribe. I work hard everyday on more then just controlling the Force. I need to find my Center, my Chapa, by the next Ceremony. I need to find what position I have in the Tribe. But every time I take up a knew Tribe task, I try too hard and something goes wrong and I am the one to blame. The Tribe still does not completely trust me yet to get my Chapa."

"Well, just know that at least pushing yourself is the step in the right direction." Demira frowned at the last comment. "Unless… you were thinking about… Is that what Depa meant with you not sitting still?"

"I guess. I'm just not one to dwell on what might not happen. I'm eighteen years old. I should have gotten my Mark in the last ceremony. They didn't let me then, who's to say they will let me now."

"I don't want to say this but unfortunately… I'm not sure. I'm not used to Tribe rules. I'm sorry."

"And you have no reason to be sorry Kanan."

There was a snap of a twig far to their left. The two immediately looked up hoping to see that it was from their friends. Seeing it wasn't, Demira immediately gave a hiss like growl, eyes narrowing and shoulder hunched. Kanan didn't do anything but observe in detail at the newcomers. A few yards away beyond a couple of tree lines, three men stood almost camouflage in the undergrowth. Unlike most men Kanan had seen in the Tribe, these men wore more clothing. They wore kilts as well as cloth around the waist. From there and up they had loose fitting woven shirts and sleeveless. On their heads they wore a headdress like a cap. In their hands they had spears. "Nomads…" Demira answered. Kanan looked at Demira who was still on the fence, which got him to notice something. Her skin, like the Nomads, was a brighter tan color then that of the Tribe. Almost as if she heard his thoughts, she put a hand out on front of Kanan. But she did to protect Kanan when she said, "Stay behind."

"Depa said if we leave them alone—"

Demira hissed, "But now they're in front of us. They'll want to fight."

Kanan looked up at the Nomad men and noticed how they shifted their eyes between them and then their own comrades. They didn't know what to do. "Do they?" Kanan extended his senses and felt something right away. "Demira I can feel their worry, their fear."

"They fear?"

"You've never confronted them either, have you?"

"I have," Demira said confidently. Then she sighed defeated, "But when a battle starts, Depa always pulls me back. She doesn't want me to fight them."

"And why do you think? Demira, just try and open yourself to them."

"I have felt them before. Wanting to battle."

"But how about now?"

Demira rolled her eyes but concentrated. She opened herself up to them. But the second she did though, from a distance up ahead, they heard a call. Demira opened her eyes. "Sar Sar." Suddenly, the Nomad men retreated, away from the two Jedi and into the deeper ends of the forest and far from the river. Kanan looked in the direction that Sar Sar had been heard from as Demira explained, "Finally opening myself, Sar Sar can sense me."

It only took a few moments before a large blue mass came charging towards them. Demira hadn't realized how much she had missed her Kuri until she saw her and she yelled, "Sar Sar!"

The giant creature plowed into the the girl and the two went into a roll. They came to a stop on the ground just a few feet away with Demira laying on her back as Sar Sar stood over her and licked her furiously with her tongue. Demira couldn't stop laughing, which made Kanan smile. It warmed him to see her in a good mood again. Rustling was heard from where Sar Sar had come from and out came the crew running to Kanan. Zeb, Sabine, Hera, and Ezra had gathered around him, asking him of he was all right. "I'm fine, no really, honestly." Depa came out into the open next with Bele behind her. He stayed by the thicket while Depa went up to Kanan and put a hand out to his shoulder. Before she could say anything, he said, "I'm ok."

She gave him a nod and a heartfelt smile until she looked on behind him. She frowned.

The group looked back to see Demira had stopped laughing and was looking at Depa in worry. She sat up and said something to Sar Sar in her language that got the Kuri to stop licking her. When she went to stand up, she looked to see what Depa would do. The Jedi Master stepped forward, took a breath and said, "Demira, I—"

Demira didn't wait. She just ran to Depa, almost collided with her, and wrapped her arms around her Master's waist. Depa was frozen in confusion until she heard her say, "Oe ngat kame, Depa."

Depa gave a relived smile and wrapped her arms around her Padawan, laying her head on top of hers and whispering, "Oe ngat kame."

Kanan smiled at the sight and looked at his crew. They suddenly were giving him unhappy looks. "What?"

"What?" Hera hissed, trying to be less audible so that she wouldn't ruin the moment between the two Jedi women. "Let's see, you made a girl almost lose trust in her master, and second you both disappeared off the edge of a cliff not only giving us a heart attack thinking you were dead but forcing us to leave you two alone throughout the night."

"Ok, ok, I'll admit I created this mess and me and Demira got into a fight but hey, we worked it out. We understand why we do what we do more now then ever."

"Really?" Sabine asked like she didn't believe it. Kanan looked back at Demira. The girl kept hugging Depa, but she had turned her head to look at Kanan. She nodded toward him, thanking him keeping her trust in Depa. Kanan nodded back and winked. The crew saw it and figured maybe Kanan was telling the truth after all. Then Demira pulled away and said to Depa with a serious look, "Tsun oeng lawk moe?"

Depa blinked, seeing Demira needed to really speak to her. She nodded then said to the crew, "Demira and I will catch up to you in a moment. Head back to the ship."

Everyone understood and walked away leaving the two Jedi women behind.

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 **A.N: Hey, look everyone's back together, but Depa and Demira still need to work things out. And a little more light is shined of Demira's past, with the addition of her past showing up as well. Next, I think we should bring in more… Imperial/ Inquisator drama….ooooo….. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	28. Ch 27: Cold Wind

**A.N: Since I screwed up on last weeks update, I'm giving you two today. Just saw Wonder Women and it's A+, go see it. Also, you should go see my Deviantart! I have a special gift for readers past and present, you should all go see!**

 **Berzerkerprime: Thank you for telling me, I fixed it. Phew…**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 27: Cold Wind**

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Depa and Demira had left the crew, taking their Kuru and Kuri with them. The Jedi women kept much distance, going as far as the path could take them: the edge of a cliff by the river. It was a familiar area.

Demira gasped, "This is…. this is where Kanan and I fell." She went up to the edge of the cliff where most of the rocks were displaced. Looking out over the edge she saw the river down below. "Onga…"

"Here is where for a few moments, I felt like I had lost you." Demira looked back to Depa. She wanted to say sorry for scaring her like that. Then Depa said, "But then I trusted in everything you have learned, from both me and the Tribe." Demira scuffed but knew it was true. She learned how to survive falling off the edge. She lived near this river, it was logical. Demira raised her head up in pride. "But I became more worried about something else, something that is very dear to me. Our trust in each other."

Demira's shoulders sagged as she knew where this was going. Depa went up to her and together they sat down at the edge. Sar Sar and Bele began to play with each other, often scuffling or chasing each other back and forth. It gave Demira and Depa, some background noise as the silence between them began. For a few moments, their feet dangled off the edge and looked down at the river. Then Depa said, "Demira, I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it the way you thought."

Demira shook her head and said, "Tsal lu nga kosa. Oe ngaytxo."

"And why are you sorry?"

Demira rubbed a hand nervously up and down her arm and said with shame, "Oe kugas fe."

"Yes, I agree," Depa said in a stern tone, "Running away wasn't the best reaction to have and I have taught you better, right?"

"Something I don't like, come find you," Demira repeated it, a mantra they had come up with.

The Depa said, back in a calm tone, "But you had every right to feel upset. Especially since I didn't see at first how you and Kanan weren't getting along."

"Tsal lu nga kosa, Depa. I admit I was being mean to him. I was just worried that he was pulling you away and leaving me behind." Demira left out the part where he did reveal he originally didn't trust her and wanted Depa to leave with him, but that was for him to tell Depa. After all, Demira understood his intentions, "In the end, he was just wanted to be with you again. We talked. We understand each other now." Depa sighed in relief, happy to hear that her Padawans had gotten along. Demira was stilling thinking though, remembering what Kanan said. She remembered that she had agreed on it too. "We understand each other now… and I understand he was just asking if you ever thought about the other worlds. You never said you'd think of leaving or not. It's ok to think about missing outside worlds. Your thoughts are your own."

"If you understand this, then what troubles you?" Depa asked. The thought almost made Demira cry but she held back the tears by closing her eyes and biting her lip. Depa looked at the girl worried and put an arm around her Padawan's back. "Demira…" Depa said as she gently pulled the girl to her so that Demira could lean into Depa, her head on her master's shoulder. Depa let her know, it was ok to be sad.

Demira calmed her breath enough to say, "With Kanan and his friends here, you have a chance to go with them. You have a choice."

Depa closed her eyes but never let go of her hold on Demira. Depa had thought for an instant about the possibility of leaving since the Ghost had arrived on Panama. The first was when Depa showed Demira how to work the map on the Holocron. Second, it was when Kanan asked about missing the outside worlds. But she only ever had time to think it was a possibility. She never thought of actually leaving. Demira now knew Depa never thought of it, but she knew that in some time… Depa would think about it.

Would Depa leave or not? What would be the consequences? Never seeing Caleb again, or never seeing Demira again? Both hurt so much to think, but both had to be addressed. "I do have a choice…." Depa began, knowing Demira was waiting for a response. "But I also have time to think about it. But know whatever choice I make, I do not mean to hurt you. I care for you. I would no purposely break our Soai."

Demira nodded and said, "Of course you care for me, and wouldn't hurt me on purpose. You're Ma'te." She wrapped her arms around her Master's waist and snuggled her head into the crock of Depa's neck. "My Ma'te."

"My 'Ite," Depa returned.

Suddenly a cold wind blew across the canyon. Just like when the Imperials first came with their TIE fighters, the ground felt like it gave a small shutter. The leaves of the trees rustling and making leaves fall. But when the wind picked up, it was just pure cold.

Bele and Sar Sar's heads went up and they snarled, lips curling to show deadly fangs ready to use. But they weren't doing it to each other, but snarling at a certain direction. Down river, far inland. Demira's hairs stood on end, feeling something so cold and dark loom over the forest all of a sudden. To Depa though, it was a bit of a familiar feeling, but something was off about it. It couldn't be what she thought it was, right? No way, and not on Panama. "Demira," Depa said as she stood up, facing the direction of where the wind had come from. "Let's go back."

"Imperial?" Demira asked frightened as she stood up.

"I hope it's just that."

The two went to their Kuru and Kuri, and for a second the creatures shoved their riders aside. They were focused on whatever was up ahead. "Sar Sar…?" Demira began, worried. She saw in the reptiles green eyes the need to protect. What was going on? Depa and Demira used the Force to calm the creatures down enough for them to get on their back and ride them by foot back towards the Ghost. Bele and Sar Sar kept a steady and speedy stride, but Depa and Demira could see they were still worried, looking every second or so in the direction the cold came from.

As they reached the clearing and burst through the tree line, they were met with blaster fire. "Hoh!" Depa shouted as she and Demira ducked and halted their creatures just by the ramp of the Ghost. They looked up to see Kanan and Ezra had eyes wide in realization as they held up their lightsaber. Zeb had a stunned look on his face as he put down his bo-rifle aimed at them. The Lasat gave a sheepish grin and said, "Oops."

Sar Sar lowered her head so that she could snarl right in front of Zeb's face. Demira leaned over and patted the creature at the base of the neck to calm her down. "Ha'dan, Sar Sar, shhhh."

Kanan and Ezra deactivated their lightsabers and Ezra said, "Sorry, we thought you were…. Um… something."

"We got a bad feeling," Kanan said.

"And when they get a bad feeling," Zeb began, "I get a bad feeling."

"Apology accepted," Demira told him cheerfully. Demira jumped off Sar Sar while Bele helped Depa down on the ground. Coming to a stand in front of Kanan, she asked, "You felt it, too."

"Yeah, but with the Force being… well… everywhere, we couldn't really pin point."

Sar Sar immediately left Demira's side and ran to the edge of the clearing, facing the same direction she was facing earlier. Bele didn't leave Depa's side either but did give a growl in that direction. Depa said, "They've been able to figure out the source. They've been acting strange since then."

"They know something bad is out there," Demira began, "All Mother knows." She looked around at the trees, they're leaves rustling with every cold gust of wind. Ezra looked around, also feeling the dread being swept across the land. Demira then asked, "But, it's just Imperials again, right? Only slightly more of them?"

Ezra asked, "Worse, probably Inquisitors."

"What are…. Inquisitors?" Demira asked.

Kanan looked at Depa who immediately became nervous. Ezra continued though, "Oh that's right, we haven't told you yet. Well, they're—"

He stopped when he heard footsteps behind him. Sabine came walking down the ramp slowly and stopped just between the boy and Zeb. The Lasat put his riffle back on the sling on his back and said, "So, what did you hear?"

The look on her face seemed to say it all. Whatever it was, it wasn't good news. Depa asked, "What happened while we were gone?"

Kanan explained, "When we got back to the ship, Chopper had picked up some chatter on the receiver. Turns out the Rebellion had come with the rescue team but there wasn't much we could hear without being detected. By then though, Ezra and I felt the shift in the Force and came out here with Zeb to defend the area in case it was the Inquisitors."

"Lucky you didn't have to be there to hear it all," Sabine said with a deep frown. "Especially with Hera next to you. They left, and with less then they came with."

"What?" Ezra asked, worried.

"Imperial coms from their Star Destroyer reported two of our ships, and they shot one into pieces before the other one retreated."

Kanan left Depa's side and moved passed Sabine to get up the ramp. Depa and Demira looked at the defeated faces of the Rebels. The rescue failed, many lives taken in the process, and the crew was stuck here for who knows how long until the Rebellion tried again if they did try. After all, it looked like the Star Destroyer wouldn't leave. Everyone on the ground looked up through the class of the cockpit. They saw Hera sitting down on the pilot seat with a solemn look on her face, staring off into the tree line ahead of her. Then they saw Kanan come around and sit on the seat next to her. He leaned over and stared at her until she finally looked. The Kanan reached out and put a hand on her lap. "It's tough on her," Depa stated.

Sabine said, "The Rebellion is almost everything to her, and the fact that we're stuck here…"

"We have to come up with someway to get you home," Demira said.

A cold gust of wind blew and Depa and Ezra were on high alert. They looked at the side of the clearing where Sar Sar continued to stand guard. The Kuri became restless, pacing back and forth along the tree line. Bele joined her a few moments later.

Depa said, "We'll have to at least deal with something first."

Sabine asked, "Did they end up being Inquisitors?"

Zeb answered, "Still not getting that part."

"It's got to be," Ezra said. "After all, Kallus must have said something about us being here. Who else would want to pick up where he left off?"

"Kid, you're such an inspiration…" Zeb said sarcastically.

"I do not get it?" Demira asked, "What are Inquisitors?"

Depa got nervous again, and Ezra was right there to make it worse. "They're like Dark Side Jedi Hunters."

"What?" Demira asked, a little too excited, "Dark side…as in Sith?"

"Well, no, they're not like Sith. These guys are more into killing us or turning us to the dark side."

"How is that different a Sith?"

"Um… well… I've met a Sith and….I guess really the only difference was that he was harder to fight. They Inquisitors were a bit easier."

"Easy, really?" Sabine asked as she and Zeb looked at Ezra with a deadpan They remembered all too well the supply run for medical equipment, and that almost ended on a sour note.

"Ok, well, Jedi…" Ezra pointed to himself. Sabine and Zeb rolled their eyes.

"They still use the dark side, though" Demira concluded with a bit of wonder. She then turned to Depa and said, "That's why Sar Sar is nervous. All mothers is warning us. They are here. We must go find them before they find us." Demira began to march on over to Sar Sar.

"Demira!" Depa called out, following after her. "Remember what I have told you about them."

"They are quick to kill, of course, I remember your stories," Demira said with confidence without looking back.

"She does know what she's getting into, doesn't she?" Zeb whispered.

Depa rushed over to go and stand in front of her Padawan before she could get to the tree line. Demira halted and looked at Depa. "Peham?" Demira whined.

"But they are not like my stories."

"Sith? Inquisitors? Same," Demira piped.

"I'm not saying that," Depa said, grabbing Demira's shoulder in a firm grip. "I mean that the difference between them and my stories is that they are real, and they are here, and they will not hesitate to kill you." She almost shook Demira y the shoulders, her eyes filled with plea and worry.

"And I will be ready because you taught me."

"Demira…"

Thinking there was going to be an argument, Zeb, Ezra, and Sabine were about to turn and leave. But then Demira made a valid point. "If we do not go out there and find them they will find the ship and tell the Imperial where we are." Sar Sar suddenly gave a squawk and started doing circles as if she were chasing her tail. Bele looked at Depa and give a low gurgle sound. "They're getting close," Demira said.

Depa sighed, knowing Demira had a point. Depa faced the on looking Rebels. "I don't want to interrupt the two lovebirds but…"

"I'll go get them," Zeb offered as he went up the ramp and into the ship.

Demira heard Depa's phrase and asked, "What are lovebirds?"

Ezra and Sabine chuckled at her innocence. Depa explained, "Don't go repeating it in front of them, all right?" Demira nodded. "Well, it's a term used to describe two people in love with one another as a sign of affection, not just Soai."

"Hmmmm," Demira pondered scratching her chin. And then she suddenly exclaimed. "OO-OO! Like you and Chief?"

Ezra and Sabine blinked back shock as Depa turned beat red. "N-no—that's not—you know very well he and I—Let's get ready to go—" Depa turned around so fast her Jedi robe caught some air, lifting up and hitting Demira in the face as she went to Bele.

The young girl laughed, holding her stomach. She ran to Ezra and Sabine and whispered to them, "Depa does not see but I see them as… lovebirds."

"DEMIRA!"

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 **A.N: Hahaha, hinting at that love pair, and the other pair, and then hinting at impending doom ahead. AAAAaaaaa, don't you just love when writers tease? So with the rescue a no go, for now, everyone has to prepare for another attack. As for Depa and Demira, had things really been figured out? Don't forget to check my DA. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	29. Ch 28: Hunting the Hunters

**A.N: So, since I'm back at work, I'm gonna have to update this story bi weekly again. So every other Friday I'll post a new chapter! This chapter is going to have a lot of stuff and then the next one is going to have a lot of fight, enjoy! Hehehe.**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 28: Hunting the Hunters**

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Finally, Kanan and Ezra were flying the real way. At least by Demira's standards.

Kanan and Depa were on Bele's back while Demira rode on Sar Sar with Ezra behind her. The creatures often flew level with the forest floor below, just skimming the trees. But often a gust of wind would blow making the creatures jerk a little. Kanan managed to hold on my leaning back and relaxing but Ezra was too amazed by the idea of flying on Sar Sar the he would lean forward but loose balance sometimes. Once the wind blew hard enough that Sar Sar jerk high enough for Ezra jump five feet in the air. "Ah!" gravity pulled him back down to sit on Sar Sar again but he reached out and held on to Demira' shoulder with both hands.

Sar Sar gave a squawk and Demira looked back with a giggle. "Having fun?"

"Fun, huh, I mean, I guess."

"I know, it's not as fun s going upside down."

"What?"

"Squeeze her knees together," She instructed before looking back forward and yelling, "Sar Sar, kita nyu!"

Ezra continued to ask confused, "What do you mean by—Oh KARABAST!" Ezra reached down to wrap his arms around Demira's midriff as Sar Sar did a 360 going backwards All the while. Ezra didn't feel scared, he felt… like he enjoyed it.

As Sar Sar came back to fly level again, Ezra laughed and said, "That was, oh man that was so cool!"

"Yes, cool," Demira repeated the phrase with enthusiasm. She was starting to like the word cool.

"I'm glad to see them having a good time," Kanan said. "It's not everyday Ezra gets a chance to laugh. Demira's perfect to bring the fun side of it."

Depa heard this but didn't look back. She said, "Yes, it's true she can bring light to the darkest situations." Then Depa finally looked back at him and said, "I'm glad to here you and Demira finally got along."

"Oh yeah… about that, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for the mess."

"She mistook your words."

"Not completely." Depa looked at Kanan confused and then seeing her reaction Kanan returned the look. Then he figured perhaps Demira didn't tell Depa the complete truth out of respect. But he had to ask the question. "I did mean to ask you in the end that night by the fire pit…"

Depa frowned. "You did want to ask me if I could join the Rebellion."

Kanan nodded, and Depa remained silent. Kanan knew this was going to be a hard decision, but to see her face…. So worried, and scared.

They became distracted again as they noticed Sar Sar switched from flying high, then low, then high again. As Sar Sar became level, the two Jedi Masters looked at the Padawans. They had switched place with Ezra ta the front. Demira crouched behind him giving him instruction. "Now say 'tuvan ftar."

"Tuvan ftar!" Ezra yelled out and Sar Sar leaned left. Demira held on as Ezra gave out and excited laugh. "Yeah, I think I got this!"

"Perhaps you may be able to train your own one day," Demira replied. "Sar Sar is mine."

"Ha, I got that—"

Suddenly Sar Sar and Bele halted in midair, flapping their wings fiercely to keep themselves hovering in place as they shook her heads off of something. Kanan held on to the base of Bele's neck as Depa reached out and tried to pat the back of Bele's neck to calm him. Sar Sar shook her head so hard enough for Ezra to almost slip off. Demira reached out and held him in place before jumping over him and landing just behind Sar Sar's head, "Ha'dan, Sar Sar, Ha'dan!"

The creatures stopped shaking their heads but now they were looking every which way for something. "I think the Inquisitors are nearby." Ezra guessed. Bele looked left, right, the opposite way to the mountain and to the plains. Suddenly he began to chuff. Kanan and Depa noticed this and looked back at their apprentices. They were still busy calming Sar Sar down to see what Bele was doing. Kanan and Depa then looked at each other and nodded, before Depa said, "Demira!"

Sar Sar was calm enough to address Depa, "Yes?"

"You and Ezra scout around the river, Kanan and I will scout the rest of the forest."

"Agreed," She said, then she said to Ezra behind her, "Hang on." Ezra held on to the base of Sar Sar's neck as Demira went, "Ka ftar!" And Sar Sar flew away from Bele.

Depa concentrated, giving Bele instruction through the Force. The creature squawked and made a b-line for the plains. As the distance between Masters and Padawan's grew, Depa said, "I'm sorry to have left Ezra with Demira, but I needed someone to stay with her. And I didn't want to lead Demira into thinking I was leaving her behind for her safety."

"I figured as much, and besides, I want Ezra just as safe."

Hearing the last part, Depa said, "Not that I admire how much you care for Ezra, but if he has but considering Inquisitors are normal thing for you both, shouldn't he get as much experience fighting them? After all, you both have faced them before."

"Is it not the Master's duty to make sure their Padawan is safe."

"Yes but not to be a judge of their capability. Ezra has experience with these Jedi Hunters as much as you do."

Kanan knew what she was getting at. She was telling him that he couldn't protect Ezra all the time. But it was hard to come to grips with such an idea. How could Kanan just… let Ezra go? Then he suddenly realized what Depa had said. "So, that's why you left Demira twice now, because she's never fought Imperials or Inquisitors before."

"She thinks she knows how to survive a fight just because she's trained for ten years. Yes it's a long time under my watchful eye, but experience is the real judgment of capability."

"Well, she managed to take down Stormtroopers and Kallus, may I add."

"She's seen Imperials before. She was almost taken by them."

"But she didn't fight them then did she?"

"No but she was able to see what they could do. Inquisitors, Siths… the dark side has been nothing but stories to her. Now they are real and here."

"And if this goes on she won't be able to avoid them. Master I—" Kanan stopped, took a breath and said, "Depa…" Depa closed her eyes, listening carefully to what Kanan had to say. "If you know Ezra may be able to stand on his feet having experienced a fight, how will you know if Demira can do that? Let her do it. Let her learn."

"You sound like Kerchec."

Kanan nodded, now understanding how earlier when they had first met the Chief, he had mentioned to Depa about her letting Demira do something. Kanan thought it was because of Demira's pride, but now that Kanan understood Demira better, perhaps it was about Depa in the end. Was Depa holding her back, and for what?

* * *

Sar Sar kept a steady glide towards the river as Ezra and Demira lookdown at the ground below for any signs of Inquisitors…. Whatever they looked like at least. "How will I know when I see an Inquisitor?" Demira asked.

"Trust me, you will know when you see one. They would stand out like a sore thumb."

"What does that mean?"

"It means they look like they don't belong here."

"So how your clothing makes you stand out?" Demira joked.

"Hey, you're wearing orange, too," Ezra mocked back. "But yeah, clothing and more likely their red lightsabers…"

"Red spears…." Demira whispered, "I've always wanted to see one."

Ezra bit his lip out of nervousness, then said, "You know, Depa's stories about dark siders are true. They can be pretty powerful. And we have two of them now so it's double the trouble."

"You have fought them before, and I have been trained to fight them. We can easily beat them together."

"But—"

"And we have the light on our side. We have the All Mother's gracious gift."

"Yeah the Force I know… but they do too."

Demira frowned. "I have never been able to understand… how can someone so bad be given the All Mother's gift?"

Ezra crossed his arms and thought about it. The Force wasn't one side, it was two different sides. And in Ahsoka's case, somewhere in between. "Well, there are different sides the Force. Maybe All Mother is the light side of the Force

"The All Mother flows within all life, just as the Force does, Ezra…"

"Then I guess the Inquisitors are just people who chose to use her gift the wrong way."

"I believe so, but why chose such a path?"

"From what I learned after saving my friend Zare and his sister back on a planet called Arkanis, it's not their choice."

"I feel so sorry for them."

Sar Sar squawked and began to dive down towards the forest. "Ah!" Ezra yelled as Demira tried to yell, "Sar Sar, nefa, nefa!" Sar Sar continued to go down. Demira leaned forward, closed her eyes, and connected with her Kuri. She felt something, the need to protect, the need to stop… whatever… Demira opened her eyes and yelled, "Sar Sar's got a trace."

"Of what?"

"The Inquisitor!"

Sar Sar dove through a space in the trees and then came to stop over a patch of grass. She flapped her wings vigorously before letting them go still so she could land on her feet and come to a stand. Demira pulled her mask, grabbed her spear strapped her back and held it in her hand. Then she jumped down and landed on the ground. Ezra grabbed his lightsaber ready to go in his hand before jumping off of Sar Sar. The two Padawans stood together as they looked around. Besides the small space of them from which Sar Sar came through, there was no more sign of sky as the trees grew bunched together around them. The grass bellow their feet was thick, knee high and wet still from the morning dew. It was only noon. "Barely any sun to shine here," Demira began. They saw through the spaces between trees tree line after tree line after tree line became harder to see as the shadows became darker.

"Perfect cover for an Inquisitor, they wear black," Ezra explained.

Sar Sar stepped over Ezra and Demira with her wings spread out and shielding them from the sides. "They are near, or Sar Sar wouldn't get so close like this. And worse, no other animals. They must have ran."

Ezra nodded and ignited his lightsaber, before whispering to Demira, "You should do the same."

"I most only pull out when necessary."

"Is that why you didn't pull it out when you fought the Imperials."

"We must keep our identities a secret. Besides, I have this." Demira spun her staff as she stood tall. Then she grabbed it in both hands, hunched over and said, "I'm ready."

"Oh…. come on," Someone whined from behind the trees in front of them. "Must every little Jedi be so confident these days?"

Ezra quickly became alert and got into a defensive position. But Demira, she let herself stance slump, her body reacting to her thoughts What…. what was that….. "After all, where's the fear…." The voice was female, but it echoed as if they were in a cave. And worse, she couldn't see this person. They were so well, hidden. Demira tried to catch a glimpse but everywhere she looked there was no sign.

Sar Sar lowered her head and hissed in a certain direction. Demira tried to brace herself, foot forward and ready, but then all excitement from earlier vanished as something stepped out of the shadows in the trees.

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 **A.N: So I have to run to work but all in all, a a lot of information and new problems arising along with Inquisators, so what can go wrong? I'm KikaKAtTIOI, peace out!**


	30. Ch 29: Dark Encounter

**A.N: Guess who's turning 21 today… ME! And I'm giving you guys a gift of a new chapter anyway because I love this story and you guys are my readers who've stayed with me this long. Thank you, guys! You're going to love this chapter!**

 **ARainDragon: Basically those two are going to have the action in this one, which is still fun, I'll admit ahah! Thanks for the review!**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

* * *

 **Chapter 29: Dark Encounter**

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Bele gave a sudden screech when he flew over a dense part of the forest just between the plans and the river. Depa closed her eyes and concentrated, feeling the strong pull of a need. A Need to follow. Depa then spun her staff once, the air blowing through the holes to make the whistle sound. It was Bele's command to follow the need. Bele slowly descended, the wind picking up and the trees below rustling as if becoming more nervous. Then, coming over a large space of the forest that gave room to see the grass below, it gave way to view what Bele was pursuing; a person dressed in heavy black armor to the T.

"Fifth Brother…" Kanan gasped. "That's one of the Inquisitors."

Depa quickly pulled down her mask, making sure to keep her face hidden from the newcomer. She then looked at him, now getting the idea of what an Inquisitor was like. Not that looks were everything, but this man did not look friendly at all. "One, of two right?"

"Yes."

"Where is the second one?"

Kanan's eyes widened and he looked around the passing forest floor below. "I don't see Seventh Sister." Then he looked at Fifth Brother. For a small moment, the darksider looked back to see what was following them, then he looked forward once more. He was not at all phased in seeing two people riding a Kuru. In fact…."He wants us to follow him." Kanan deduced. "He checked to make sure we were on his tail!"

"So what's their plan? To have the second one surprise us?"

"No. But I'm thinking now it was a bad idea to separate us from our Padawans."

Depa's eyes widened now and she leaned down to yell to her Kuru. "Bele! Find Sar Sar, find Sar Sar!"

Bele seemed hesitant but it at the name Sar Sar, it was enough for him to make a U-turn back to where Sar Sar had gone; towards the river. But not even a few seconds of making their way towards the Padawans did trouble begin for them. Depa felt something off through the Force and immediately yelled, "Lean left!" Bele did, avoiding a double bladed flying lightsaber that came up and spun in the air where Bele had once flown. When it came back down to its owner, Depa, Kanan, and Bele looked back. The Fifth Brother was running after them now, grabbing his lightsaber mid-sprint and getting ready to throw it again.

"Their lightsaber's spin?" Depa asked, flabbergasted.

"Thankfully, that's the only surprise."

The Fifth Brother's lightsaber came up again, and this time it was so fast, Bele tried to maneuver away only to be hit, making him screech in pain. Through the Force and their connection, Depa felt her Kuru's pain and she held her chest in pain, leaning forward. "Aargh!" She yelled.

"Master!" Kanan yelled as he reached out to Depa. He put one hand out to hold on to Bele so that with the other he could hold Depa around the waist to keep her from falling off. Problem was, they were already falling. Bele began to plummet down towards the earth, breaking through trees and then hitting the ground loud crash. Depa, Kanan, and Bele tumbled on the ground before they slowed to a stop on the grass. As both Jedi began to slowly get up, Kanan asked through slight pain, "Master?"

"I'm fine," She tried to assure him through her own pain. Then she looked to her Kuru. Bele laid on his side, curled up in a fetal position. He was breathing heavily. "Bele!" Depa yelled and she ran to his side. She went around him, inspecting him quickly before coming to a stop by his neck. For a slight moment, Depa sighed in relief. Thanks do Bele's maneuvering, the lightsaber had nicked the skin and hadn't made a deep cut through the body. But Depa still kept a worried look and kneeled down to get closer to his neck. Kanan came around and saw the problem. A long scar went from the base of the neck to just below the jaw line. It was burning. The Kuru gurgled as if trying to say something to his rider. Depa cooed, "Shhhhhh, easy, you're all right. You did well. Good boy, you're all right."

Kanan bent down and gently brushed his fingers along the side of Bele's face, comforting the creature as best he could. Then the sound of heavy footsteps running towards them was heard, growing louder. Brush was being destroyed as well as a lightsaber ignited just beyond a tree line. Kanan quickly stood up and ran forward to step in front of Bele and Depa. Just as he pulled out his lightsaber, the Fifth Brother burst through the trees and brought down is own lightsaber. A loud hiss was heard with the clash of the two weapons.

Depa stood up and put her hand on her hip where her lightsaber hid beneath the cloak. But she froze, not knowing what to do. Bele needed help but so did Caleb.

The Fifth Brother's lightsaber spun as he swung it back and forth towards Kanan, but Kanan already figured the mechanics of an Inquisitor and their lightsaber. Brother swung down then up, Kanan blocking the attack with his lightsaber vertical. Brother moved the top saber blade down towards Kanan's head but Kanan had already brought his lightsaber up horizontal to block it. Then Kanan planet his foot and with the other swung himself around so that he spun and stood at Brother's right side. He tried to attack the shoulder but Fifth Brother brought his arm down holding the lightsaber vertical and blocking it. Then he raised his lightsaber up, bringing up Kanan's with it. Kanan was forced to raise his arms up exposing his chest to which Fifth Brother took advantage and kneed him there. Kanan did not fall but he staggered, stepping back to try and give himself some space. Though he kept his lightsaber in front of him he wasn't ready for Fifth Brother to bring his lightsaber down towards Kanan.

Depa was.

A root suddenly came up from below the Fifth Brother's feet and wrapped around his ankles. He looked down and saw what had happened, which then made him lose balance. Kanan stepped back again to watch as the Fifth Brother fell forward face first into the grass. Kanan chuckled at the sight and then looked at Depa who had her arm raised. Even though her mask was on, he could see through here eyes. There was a little hint of playfulness. She flicked her fingers and more roots from bellow wrapped around the Fifth Brother's arms and around his waist. He yelled in anger as he tried to struggle free.

Depa took this chance to help Bele who was struggling to get up. She came up to his face, held it, and whispered, "Ka! Ne Mponja, ke!" Bele snorted, letting Depa know he understood before he flew away.

Fifth Brother suddenly got and idea. He held his hand out so that his fallen lightsaber could fly back into his grasp. He ignited it and quickly used it to snap through the roots wrapped around his hands. Depa ran to Kanan, took him by the arm, and pulled him with her back the way they were going earlier. Towards the River. As the two Jedi went into the deep forest and ran as fast as they could, Kanan said, "He'll find a way to cut through all those roots."

"I know! We're buying time for ourselves. Besides, he relies on strength and size, he'll be slow."

"He's got the help of the Force."

"Ok, so he'll be a bit faster. Doesn't matter, with Bele gone, we can't lose time. We need to get to the Padawans."

"Those two together will be fine, we'll get there before things get worse." Kanan assured her. The sound of someone charging behind them was heard and they both looked back. The Fifth Brother was right on their tail.

* * *

The forest around the Padawans became almost still, the only movement being the wind that picked up a cold current to blow harder and harder with every step the newcomer took.

The Seventh Sister began to walk circles around Demira, Ezra, and Sar Sar. Ezra gave her a serious look while Bele hissed at her. But Demira was different. She looked at this Inquisitor, this person, lithe in build and wearing nothing but some kind of heavy black armor from head to toe. Like Demira, she had a mask on but Demira couldn't even find eye holes. Demira only had the Force to feel the intentions of this newcomer. Hatred, Malice, and Deception. And the voice made it all the worse. "So, boy, you met someone new?" Seventh Sister's voice echoed throughout the shaded clearing.

Ezra said confidently, "Yeah. But she's not interested I meeting you." He stepped in front of the girl.

Demira raised an eyebrow and looked at Ezra in question. He didn't turn his head but his eyes darted towards her. The look he gave her said everything, he would fight Seventh Sister while Demira would run.

Demira scowled, disappointed that Ezra would doubt her like this. Sure she was afraid earlier, but the way Seventh Sister looked and what Demira could feel through the Force about her wasn't going to stop Demira from fighting. She wanted to fight this Inquisitor. She wanted to put her skills to the test. Demira held her spear tight in hand and said, "Perhaps not interested in meeting you, but I am ready to beat you."

"Says the girl with the mask on."

"I can say the same to you."

"At least I'm not hiding who I am. You hide because you're afraid. You're afraid I'd fined out you're a Jedi."

Demira hesitated, Ezra looked at her worried, and Seventh Sister felt the slight wave of doubt and confusion. The Inquisitor continued, "Oh, look at that I already know. Kallus made you sound so unreal, but even if a Jedi never did anything like that before doesn't mean you aren't one. That's why you hide on this planet."

Demira wanted to yell that she wasn't hiding, that she lived here. But she couldn't risk giving away the presence of her Tribe. Ezra saw Demira's eyes. She was thinking, but not letting any emotion show. She wasn't going to give Seventh Sister the satisfaction, and neither was Ezra. Building up from Demira' confidence, Ezra said to the Inquisitor, "Why don't you be like your partner and shut your mouth?"

"Huh, Fifth Brother would be all brawn, no brain, but still, got to hand it to him. He did come up with the idea to separate you four."

Demira gasped, "No…" She looked in the direction of where Depa and Kanan had gone. The other Inquisitor was after them.

This little distraction was enough for Seventh Sister to ignite her Lightsaber and go after Demira. Demira knew she wouldn't be fast enough so she yelled, "Kxetse!"

Sar Sar roared as she planted her foot in front of Demira and Ezra, standing over them, then with the other, she maneuvered her body so her tail went around and hit Seventh Sister aside. The women didn't fall but skidded on her her feet and hands, coming to a stop just at the edge of the small clearing. "So you want others to fight for you?" Seventh Sister his as she got her lightsaber to start spinning. "Classic Whimpy Jedi move."

Demira stuttered, "Spu-spu-spin-spinning?"

Ezra smirked and deactivated his lightsaber, saying, "And you thought Jedi with blasters was a weird thing." Ezra shot a few electric bolts from his weapon towards Seventh Sister. She dodged them all, left and right, every time getting closer to the Padawans. "Kriff…." Ezra muttered nervously as he activated his lightsaber and charged forward. But he stopped Sar Sar lunged forward, her jaws open to snap at Seventh Sister. The Inquisitor dodged left and avoided the bite. In doing so she lashed out with her lightsaber. Sar Sar tried to pull her head back as quick as she could, but she got sliced from the tip of her nostrils down across all the way to the back of her jaw. She screeched and stepped back.

"Sar Sar!" Demira yelled. To give her time she used the Force and push Seventh Sister far away so that her back hit against a tree. As Demira inspected Sar Sar's wound, Ezra came around and said, "We can't keep relying on Sar Sar, we got to fight the Inquisitor ourselves."

Seventh sister charged towards them and this time Ezra got his chance. He charged with his lightsaber ignited. Seventh sister expected to clash weapons but Ezra went down, slid on his knees, and leaned back to avoid getting hit. Seventh Sister halted, planted her foot, and maneuvered her foot around so that she could come forward and bring down her lightsaber. Ezra rolled left, then jumped up on his feet. Sister thrust her weapon forward but Ezra stepped back. Then he moved forward going for the legs. She blocked the attack, the lightsabers sizzling with the contact. Ezra tried to kick at her with his foot but Seventh sister bent her knee up to block the hit. She then used one hand to bring down her lightsaber, taking Ezra's with him. Making him bend over gave her the opportunity to use her other hand to make a fist and punch up, right into his stomach. Ezra gasped for air, keeling over in doing so. Just as the Seventh Sister brought up her lightsaber to bring down on his back, a green lightsaber came flying, hitting one side of the Sister's saber so that it was pushed to the right, missing Ezra's head by inches.

The boy fell back on his back, surprised by the sudden attack. Both he and seventh sister looked up to see the green lightsaber go flying back to their own. Demira grabbed it in a tight grip, then whispered something to Sar Sar. Whatever it was, the Kuri understood and charged out of the clearing. Then Demira looked back at the Inquisitor and said, "Ezra is right. We must fight you… and I will." Demira bent her knees in a ready position as she held her lightsaber in front of her. Her confidence returned.

Seventh Sister said, "Well, well, she has more confidence then you…" She said looking at Ezra. "Big Mistake." She charged forward, lightsaber spinning. Demira step forwards then spun around. Her lightsaber came down so that Seventh Sister's weapon was brought down. Then Demira planted her foot, spun again, and this time kicked the Seventh Sister where she was exposed. Right on the small of her back. Seventh Sister stumbled but stayed on her feet. She looked at Demira, her smirk visible from below the teeth design of her mask.

Ezra blinked in astonishment, a smile creeping on his face. "Haha!" He cried out in victory for Demira.

Enraged, Seventh Sister bright her lightsaber up but Demira jumped back, doing a summersault and land on her feet. Her lightsaber was already up and ready. Seventh Sister swiped right but Demira blocked it. Seventh Sister's lightsaber spun so that it moved Demira's lightsaber out of the way and give Sister room to thrust her lightsaber forward. Demira bent back to avoid the attack and used her lightsaber to move Sister's out of the way so she could stand straight again. Coming back up, Demira's free hand came forward as she said, "To slow." She used the Force and pushed Seventh Sister back against a tree again.

Demira felt victory. She knee she could take these Inquisitors on. She had the skills, why did she worry earlier? Why did Depa worry at all?

She would soon find out.

In being pushed into a tree, Seventh Sister maneuvered herself so that her feet planted into the trunk, then she pushed forward with the Force and crashed into Demira with amazing speed. The two skidded on the grass, coming to a halt just on the other side of the clearing. Seventh Sister was on top of Demira. Demira looked up wide eyed. Ezra came running towards them, "Leave her alone—" Seventh Sister clicked something behind her, making Demira stare in disbelief as something like a small flying disk-shaped droid with legs dislocated from Seventh Sister's back. It went flying towards Ezra, grabbed him by the arms and pulled him back. "Hey! Let go you spider creep!"

Seventh Sister went back and focused on Demira, igniting one side of the lightsaber to try and cut Demira through the neck. Every time Seventh Sister swiped her lightsaber back and forth, Demira would cock her neck from side to side. Seventh sister would only hit the grass and make the ground sizzle with every contact. Demira knew she couldn't' keep this up for long so she concentrated, called to the world around her for help. Vines suddenly came down from an over hanging branch and wrapped around Sister's waist and arms, taking her up to hang like a rag doll in the air. "What?" Seventh Sister yelled.

Demira sat up and looked to Ezra. The droid still had both his hands locked in it's tight grip. Demira called for help again, this time vines from a tree nearby reached out, grabbed the little bugger, and crushed it. The droid turned to nothing but pieces. Ezra looked at Demira gratefully. She in turn looked back at him with her own thanks. They had almost been killed, but they both managed to defeat the Inquisitor…. So they thought.

An angry yell was heard and Seventh Sister came down. Demira ducked away, but as Seventh Sister landed she reached out with the Force, using it to grab Demira around the neck. Demira chocked, both out of the sudden Force around her neck and her fear. She felt herself being pulled back, coming into the grips of the Seventh Sister who grabbed her by her long hair. Seventh Sister held up her lightsaber to Demira's neck.

Ezra reached for his lightsaber, but Seventh Sister hissed, "Move an inch, and her head becomes detached from her body!" Ezra froze, his fear now rising for Demira's life. He saw the girl's eyes, once filled with so much confidence, now showing the true emotion she was holding back all along; fear.

Seventh Sister let her mask fold up to reveal her face. Demira learned from Depa that looking different never meant scary, but this time, Demira questioned it. She saw the green skin on a sinister, feminine face. Dark green patterns lined her checks, bringing out the malicious yellow of her eyes. They were so piercing and deadly, unlike anything Demira could have ever imagined from a darksider. Demira now feared for her life as the Seventh Sister hissed, "So little Jedi, let's see the limits to what you learned from the fallen Jedi who came here long ago…."

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 **A.N: FrackFrackFrackFrackFrackFrack FrackFrackFrackFrackFrackFrack FrackFrackFrackFrackFrackFrack! Demira is so f*ckin dead! Well, as far as we know. Anyway so Depa and Kanan get to have some fun with the Fifth Brother but the real problem, like Depa said, is with the Padawans. Ezra may have more experience with the manipulations of Sister, but Demira best him by skill. Ezra needs to work on his attacks while Demira needs to work on… I don't know… not being full of herself in a fight? I guess you can say I'm going the ahsoka route on this one but believe me I gets good. See you next update, I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	31. Ch 30: End this Fight

**A.N: Yo, Forces of Destiny is sick! You all should watch it! Anyway, updating from Ixtapa, Mexico! The storms here are awsome!**

 **Mogor: Will do! :)**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 30: End this Fight**

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Depa felt it, the strong connection between her and Demira. There was determination, she could feel it. something was going on. A red lightsaber whizzing by here head by mere inches brought her out of her thoughts and back into focus.

Depa and Kanan continued to run towards the river, darting around trees and jumping over obstacles such as rocks and trunks. All this while having to avoid the Fifth Brother's lightsaber. He threw it every so often, trying to hit one of the two Jedi. Every miss he made, he would summon it back to him. To get him to slow down, Depa would sometimes throw her hand back, as if in a wiping motion. What came out of doing so was wherever the Inquisitor was about to step, an explosion of dirt would come from below the ground and shoot up like a geyser. The Inquisitor would be slowed down, but he managed to dodge every one without being injured.

On observation, Kanan tried it out himself. He reached back, focused on a spot where Fifth Brother would be and willed the Force to expand. A geyser of dirt much bigger then the ones Depa had created, exploded out of the ground and very much close to their pursuers. Fifth Brother managed to avoid most of it but rocks came out from the ground as well, hitting the Inquisitor upside the chin. He fell back with an angry yell, loosing the Jedi for just a moment before his rage powered him through to stand and keep running.

Depa and Kanan smiled in victory seeing they had almost lost the Jedi hunter. Then Kanan and and Depa felt it. Where their was a darkness behind them, there was a darkness in front of them, just beyond the last couple of trees ahead. A sound of a fight. "We're getting close!" Kanan said as he pulled out his lightsaber and got it ready. Depa contemplated, not knowing if she should pull out her lightsaber or not. She had hid from Kallus, and since these where Jedi hunters, she had to keep the lightsaber back just a bit longer-wait-

Kanan and Depa almost stumbled, feeling something wrong. Fear, genuine fear. Innocence, broken—"Demira!" Depa exclaimed. Just as they were heading to the other side of the tree line, Depa spotted it, the reason behind the fear. A lithe women all in black and with a helmet had Demira in a head lock against her with her lightsaber to the young padawan's neck. Instinct took over Depa. For her sake—no—no more. For Demira's sake—she had to use it. Depa pulled out her lightsaber and jumped through the last of the trees and into a small shaded clearing. She came down with her lightsaber towards the Seventh Sister, making her move her lightsaber away from Demira to block the attack. Depa planted her feet on the ground, pushing against the Inquisitor's lightsaber. Demira looked up in wonder at Depa's strength.

Kanan came out of the trees next, coming next to Ezra who had been standing by unable to help.

Depa brought her lightsaber down with the Inquisitor's so that with her other hand she could summon with the Force and explosion of dirt. Since Seventh Sister's mask was up, the dirt went right into her eyes and she hissed, letting Demira go. The girl fell on her knees as the Seventh Sister fell on her bottom. Demira was still filled with the adrenaline of fear from almost meeting her death that she barely heard Depa yell at her. Depa got through by grabbing Demira by the arm and then throwing her across the clearing towards the line of trees. Demira's body skidded to a halt against some tree roots before she sat up and saw what happened.

Seventh Sister had recovered quickly enough to lash out but Depa got in the way. Now Depa and Sister were fighting to to toe. Depa maneuvering every hit or blocking certain attacks that were unavoidable. By then, Fifth Brother had come out of from the trees and came down with hid blade ignited. Ezra and Kanan were right there to stop him. They each blocked one side of the lightsaber with their own weapons as the Fifth Brother tried to push against them. "I got you now, Jedi," He hissed.

Seeing as Kanan and Ezra were occupied, Depa knew she had to be the one to get Demira out of here. Depa stepped to the side and kicked Seventh Sister on the ribs before using the Force to push the Inquisitor away. Depa took this chance to yell at Demira, "Nia Kasat! Run! Tul, Demira, tul! Run!"

Demira was frightened but listened anyway. She scrambled onto all fours and ran out of the clearing and into the forest like a scared animal. Hearing the words run was enough for Kanan to lose focus and get his head slammed by The Fifth Brother's forehead. "Kanan!" Ezra yelled. Then he was slammed in the body by Fifth Brother's shoulder. Kanan and Ezra got to their feet and focused in time for Fifth Brother's next attack.

Depa had watched it all but came to focus on the Seventh Sister when the women said in her echo-like voice, "Oh, the Jedi, so worried at every turn. You even had one of your own runaway. Your Padawan I'm guessing. Why is that?" Depa didn't answer. She had already pulled out her lightsaber, she was already pushing her far enough. "Oh, don't think that staying silent and keeping that mask on will stop me from knowing what you are. You trained with a Master, a Jedi who was killed on this planet. Very obvious, even if the records are a bit lacking."

Depa almost laughed. These Inquisitors thought she was trained by herself. Classic Darksiders, thinking they can toy with the minds of others. Depa decided to try and beat the Inquisitor at her own games. "Maybe you have figured me out, doesn't mean you're as smart as you make yourself to be."

Depa summoned the vines from above to come down from the trees and wrap around the Seventh Sister. The Inquisitor raised her lightsaber to spin and cut the vices before they could reach her. "She already tried that one me." Depa stepped back and raised her lightsaber as the Inquisitor came towards her. "So I already have you figured out. Like Master like Padawan, if you even are a Master."

Fifth Brother heard this and took the time to stop and yell. "Enough talk, Seventh Sister. Finish her!"

Sister rolled her eyes. "No fun you are. Oh well." She charged forward.

Kanan and Ezra took turns distracting the Fifth Brother with defensive techniques while the other would try and surprise him from behind. Catching onto their pattern, Fifth Brother deactivated his lightsaber and grabbed Ezra's hand when he came too close. Ezra cursed and Fifth Brother threw him into Kanan who had to deactivate his own lightsaber to keep from hurting Ezra on impact. The two tumbled together until they hit a tree to come to a stop. The Fifth Brother came after them while they were dazed, but Kanan recovered faster, grabbing Ezra from under the arms and jumping away. Fifth Brother missed them and almost hit the tree, avoiding collision by jumping up at the last second and pivoting on the trunk to jump up, flip, and land on the ground.

Back with Seventh Sister and Depa, the two were almost neck and neck. The Inquisitor came forward with her lightsaber but Depa kicked a foot out to push back the Inquisitors aim. Then in stepping forward Depa came down to cut into the enemies lightsaber. Seventh Sister was quicker, switched hands to attack from the other side. Depa did the same kick and slice maneuver which Seventh Sister avoided again. Then the Inquisitor went forward, going from one side to the other of Depa to attack. The Jedi Master kept pace by spinning her lightsaber over and over to avoid attack from left right, front, back, head to toe. Depa spun twice before she made a move towards the Seventh Sister. Depa maneuvered her wrist once left and right to get the Inquisitor to block each one before their weapons clashed in front of one another.

Kanan stood up and braved the next attack from the Fifth Brother. He blocked two hits from above, keeping his lightsaber horizontal before coming down with it vertically to block an attack from the second blade below. Fifth Brother spun 360 to catch Kanan on his left but Kanan jumped back, then forward to block the second blade coming to his torso. Kanan then pushed forward, pretending to strike at the Fifth Brother's feet making the inquisitor step back. It gave room for Kanan to reach a hand out and punch the Inquisitor in the face. It didn't phase the Inquisitor enough, All he had to do was to another 360 but used his body's momentum to swing around and slam Kanan on his side, making him fall. Ezra came next, blocking the Inquisitor from bringing down the lightsaber towards Kanan. The two clashed weapons. The Inquisitor stepped forward to push his blade to impale Ezra on the side. Ezra had stepped back moved his lightsaber to be parallel to his back. When he spun, his blocked the Inquisitors attack and managed to push the red lightsaber aside. It gave Ezra room to jump and use both feet to kick the Inquisitor in the chest. The Inquisitor fell back but he rolled to come to a stop on his hands and feet. He then stood up and smirked, keeping his lightsaber spinning by his side. Kanan and Ezra held their up in defense.

Depa avoided a horizontal attack from the Seventh Sister and then one coming towards her head by jumping up and then coming down hard with the lightsaber. Lightsabers sparked on impact. Depa moved her wrist up and down to loosen the Seventh Sister's push against her so that she could swing her foot around and hit the Seventh Sister in the face. Shocked by the sudden attack angered the Seventh Sister, making her yell in rage. The Inquisitor moved her spinning lightsaber around and around so quickly it stunned Depa to the point she didn't see the Seventh Sister was going to do a roundhouse kick until it was too late. She was pushed as far back as to where Kanan and Ezra now stood in their defense position. Depa used her hands to jump up onto her feet and hold out her lightsaber. Jedi now faced Jedi Hunter. Depa would have though three to two would be easy but she should have known better. These Inquisitors were meant to learn while they fight. She couldn't use the elements on them anymore and lightsaber technique was being outdone by spinning lightsabers. What could they do now?

A roar was heard and everyone looked right to see Sar Sar run right in, skidding to a halt. She stopped just at the clearing and turned her side to face them, making everyone see Hera, Sabine, and Zeb hold out blasters towards the Inquisitors. They opened fire right away. Seventh sister and Fifth Brother spun their lightsabers to block the blaster fire as Kanan and Ezra ran to join them. They used their blaster on the Inquisitors as well. At first all of them against two seemed like it was turning the tide against the darksider. Depa smiled, even if no one could see her behind the mask. But it switched dramatically when both Inquisitors used the force to push them all down. Everyone fell, even Sar Sar.

The Inquisitors were about to give no time for them all to get back up as they readied their lightsabers as they focused on the fallen. Seeing her friends under prepared, Depa yelled, "Stop!" Both Inquisitors moved their focus back to Depa. The Jedi took a deep breath and deactivated her lightsaber. If all lightsaber forms were useless against these Jedi hunters, then she could still try and use the force and the elements. She would have to surprise them. Seventh Sister scuffed. "Surrendering already?"

"You would think so…" Depa said confidently.

Seventh Sister and Fifth Brother looked at each other. She really wasn't kidding. Like it mattered…. It would be easier to take her down.

Something not much smaller then Fifth Brother ran out of the Trees with an animalistic war cry. They wrapped their strong arms around Fifth Brother as they jumped forward and pulled the Jedi hunter down. The two tumbled until the attack grabbed Fifth Brother by the legs and slammed him on his back into the dirt. As the Fifth Brother tried to gain consciousness, everyone took notice of the newcomer. To the crew and Depa, they could easily tell my the black tattoos all over his muscular body, the fur cape, and the skull crown that it was the Chief. He had the addition of a really big mask that hung from his head and came down to just in front of his stomach. The mask was black painted with white markings making it look like a creature with it's mouth open in a around shape.

Depa smiled, but then realized…. He was here, Kerchec was here next to Jedi Hunters. He will be killed. Almost as if to confirm her fear, Seventh Sister marched up to him and hissed, "What's it with you people and your masks. Fortunately, Chief was ready the Force alerted him to the attack, making him able to maneuver out of the way as Sister came to slice him. He bent down toward s the ground then rolled back once to get on his hands. Pushing up with great force, he kicked out with both feet so that they hit Seventh Sister on the side. She was pushed so far back, she skidded to a stop on her feet just inches from the edge of the clearing. Chief stood up, hunching over to show his defensive stance.

Depa closed her eyes, trying to figure out what Kerchec was doing trying to fight Inquisitors. Sure he had skills and the help of the Force, but he wasn't as trained as Demira, so what—Depa felt it and looked beyond the clearing. Of course!

The crew stood up, getting ready to help the Chief when they heard a yell from behind them, Demira came out running into the clearing on all fours. She was going straight for Fifth Brother who had quietly gotten up to try and sneak and attack on the Chief without anyone knowing. The girl surprised him enough with her roar like yell that he couldn't; avoid her jumping and gripping his neck in a claw-like grip. The girl went on to bite into his shoulder where the armor didn't cover. Her teeth tore right through the fabric and into his skin, making him bleed. He yelled as he stumbled but didn't fall. He grabbed the girl by the back of her hair and pulled her off. She hung their, clinging onto to her heir to try and lesson the pain of being held. Fifth Brother moved his lightsaber quickly strike her but Demira kicked up with her feet, the Force following up right behind. Dirt and rock came up like a geyser right upside the Fifth Brother's chin for the second time that day.

As Fifth Brother dropped her, Seventh Sister went to attack the Chief, the Ghost crew tried slowing her down by shooting at her again. She didn't have the strength right now to push them so all she could do was block blast after blast. Some she managed to redirect towards the group, making them have to scatter. Depa came up from behind and jump up and over her. As she came down, she managed to do a hand stand on the Inquisitor's shoulders. Grabbing on, Depa used her momentum to spin so that the Seventh sister was forced to do an 180 and face away. Depa came down to stand behind the Inquisitors exposed back. Depa finally grabbed her staff she had latched on to the sling on her back and pulled it out to use the curved end to hook onto Seventh Sister's ankle. Depa swung away and the sister fell. The Chief came and jumped up to land on the Seventh sister. The Inquisitor gasped and jumped away in time to avoid the Chief from slamming her into a small size crater he made on impact.

Fifth Brother proceeded to slice Demira with his red blade over and over as the girl scooted back every time, then rolled to get onto all fours and run to stand behind the Firth Brother. She kicked out with a foot into the back of his knee so that he fell. As he did, Demira ran on all fours to be in front of him, back to him. Fifth Brother looked up in time to see Demira's behind. The girl planted her hands on the ground so like and animal she used her feet to kick back and hit him square in the face. He was forced back, landing on his back next to the Seventh Sister who had fallen forward to avoid from becoming part of the ground earlier.

The Jedi Hunters seethed as the Chief and Depa came to join Demira on either side of her and stand tall. Demira, on the other hand, had turned to face him but stayed don all fours. She wasn't doing it to kneel and show submission. No, far from it. She was doing it so that she would get up, lean into her bent feet so that her fisted hands beat her chest as she gave an animal like roar. Then she went back down to stand on all fours defensively. Seventh Sister and Fifth Brother looked at each other. They all looked human, like people, but they were unlike anything a person was, the girl especially. They were something else. They weren't the only ones thinking it. The crew was astounded as Sar Sar looked on.

Depa chuckled and said, "I guess you haven't' quit figured us out yet."

At that, the anger of the Inquisitors rose at max peak, making them scramble up as quickly as they could so that could land at least one hit with their lightsabers. Too bad. Depa had stepped up in front of them. She planted her foot, turned and did a 360 so that when her foot kicked out, two rocks came and hit the Inquisitors right in the face. As the were distracted, Depa used vines from above, moved her arms in a wave motion and then pushed forward. The vines looked the Inquisitors spinning lightsabers to stand still. Then Depa ducked as Demira and Chief bent and then sprung forward. With their heads and enough Force, Demira smashed her head into Seventh Sister's chest and Chief's into Fifth Brother. The impact with the Force helping made them fly back so hard, they went past the tree line of the clearing. All was quiet, everyone stood still, then they heard a distance splash.

The canyon and the river had been just on the other side. The crew came up to the three Tribes people. Kanan went up to Depa and began breathlessly, "Master…"

"This fight is finished, but the war on this planet continues…" She said ominously.

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 **A.N: What is it with me and all this crazy fighting moves? I guess I like the savage way of kicking and biting, because it seems to do wonders against Inquisitors. But this three chapter arc of one fight after another is done for now and we get back to figuring thinsg out with the Rebellion. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	32. Ch 31: Found

**A.N: Got to hand it to Disney. They know how to own my butt now with that new Star Wars Hotel coming to Orlando.**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

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 **Found**

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"I thought a Chief's duty was to his people," Depa said with scowl as she crossed her arms and looked at the Chief. The entire group had walked in silence until they had gotten to the safety of the Ghost's cargo room. That's when Depa decided it was time to talk to which the Ghost crew decided to sit back and watch in curiosity. Demira sat in the corner of the room close to the entrance. Her back was turned to them but she listened intently.

Chief smirked sheepishly and said, "Well, I was doing my duty."

"No, you are out here—"

"Depa—"

"Beyond the waterfall—"

"Depa—"

"Risking your own identity."

"They never found out who I was." The Chief came around to circle Depa before stopping behind her. "How could they? They still have no idea there are indigenous living in this land."

Depa turned around and pointed a finger to poke him right on his bare chest. "Don't you dare try and find an excuse on how this choice of coming out in the open was valid." Kanan was slightly impressed. He ha never seen Depa get flustered like this, especially with someone as specific as the Chief. Depa continued, "Even if they did know who you were, either way they would have killed you."

"Then I would be doing my duty. My Chapa."

Depa raised her hands to her head and almost dug her fingers into her skull in sheer anger, "How is this your Chapa—"

"The Tribe may be safe behind the waterfall but two of my members remain out here where danger now lurks."

Depa's eyes widened and she relaxed, standing straight and looking at the Chief dead in the eye. She wanted to argue back, but that excuse was valid, especially to the believes of the Tribe. Depa could see in his eyes what he was thinking. Worry. "You felt them."

"All the way to my hut. Their darkness leaves a stench across the land. I had to make sure you were all right. I knew trouble was brewing when I came here. Sar Sar was making circles around them." He pointed to Hera, Sabine, Zeb, and Chopper by the crates on the right.

Hera explained, "Sar Sar came running to us and we had a feeling something was wrong but we couldn't tell what or even where to start looking." Everyone looked outside to where Sar Sar was lying down curled up just at the bottom of the ramp. "Thanks to the Chief and Sar Sar, together, we all found you."

"Not that I'm not grateful…" Kanan began as he came to sit next to Hera. "This wasn't your fight," Kanan said.

"I'll have to agree on this," Depa said, looking at the Chief with narrowed eyes.

"Like that was going to stop me," The Chief said with a smirk.

"Kerchec…" Depa began.

"I'm going to agree with him," Hera said to Kanan.

"Same here," Zeb and Sabine said together.

Ezra finally cut in, "It's too late to change who joined the fight or not. I think what we should be talking about is when they're coming back?"

"They must know by now they are defeated," The Chief said. "Why come back?"

"That is exactly why I didn't want you out here." Depa turned around, too flustered to look at him. "These Inquisitors are like any darksider. They do not quit when they feel defeat. That defeat only fuels them more into completing their mission which is to kill us. And now you."

Chief at first seemed as of Depa had beat him, his reaction to bite his lip. Then he said, "Well then, gives me all the more reason to stay out here and help you. Not risk the safety of the Tribe."

"Help me? Kerchec, you have never faced anyone like that before."

"No but I have now."

"Ooo why you—" She turned to face him with gritted teeth. "You're confidence is just as big as—" She halted and closed her eyes before she could give away who she was going to say next. But everyone seemed to know. Everyone had seen the conversation between Depa and Demira earlier before they had gone out in search of the Inquisitors. Chief didn't have to be there for him to know. He looked back to see Demira with her back turned to all of them. She didn't want to look back at them, because she knew Depa was going to talk about her.

Chief looked back at Depa and said, "My confidence….?" Then he said something in his language which made Depa narrow her eyes but look longingly towards Demira. The crew didn't know if they should stay since this might become personal, or wait until they were addressed.

Depa responded in their language, then she finished with, "She's learned, so she's had enough for one day."

Chief began to say something in their language when his eyes widened and he whipped his head to look outside. That's when Demira stood up on her feet ad looked out as Sar Sar stood up too. The Chief rushed out to get out into the clearing. Kanan and Ezra became alarmed as Hera asked, "Is everything ok."

"Something's coming…" Depa answered.

"Ugh," Zeb said, letting his face fall into open palms. "What is it with you… Force people and ebbing ominous when things arm coming. This is like the fifth time since we got here."

"Relax, Zeb," Sabine said as she stood up. Everyone went out into the clearing. The crew was up front, on the grass, as Depa stayed back with Chief and Demira on the ramp. Sar Sar stayed around with them. At first, no one saw anything beyond the tree lines, then there was something. Flying creatures in the distance flew out of the forest as if something had spooked them. Knowing signs of danger the crew pulled out their weapons. Then Sar Sar stepped in. For some reason, she got excited. She went up in front of the crew and towards the tree line, hovering by it with tail wagging and head in a swivel. Demira came down to the crew and said, "Hold back your weapons." The crew was hesitant at this command. "It's someone friendly. Sar Sar does that to someone she likes." Then they all relaxed.

"Who isn't here she likes?" Ezra asked.

As soon as he asked, Bele came running into the clearing and right up to Sar Sar. Everyone stepped away as the two almost collided, walking circles around one another as they bobbed their heads up and down. They were excited to be reunited. Then, Bele ran to Depa. He nuzzled her on the side of her head, the Jedi smiling as she scathed her Kuru under the chin. "Well, I'm glad to see you too. Wait—" Depa grabbed the chin tail of Bele so that she could move the creature's head and see the neck. "You're still hurt!" She exclaimed as she looked at the thin red line that went from the base of the neck to the chin. "You didn't go back to the Tribe? Where did you go—"

The rumbling sound suddenly grew louder behind the tree line until finally large vehicle burst through into the clearing. Everyone was immediately on high alert, raising their weapons. Then the crew relaxed as a look of recognization was seen on all their faces. "What is that?" Demira asked surprised in seeing the wide truck size hover vehicle only armed with one canon.

Ezra said to her, "That is a repulse lift cargo transport. A-A5 Speeder truck."

Sabine shook her head. "You're saying that like she's going to know what it means."

Depa looked at Hera as the Twi'lek put her blaster in he holster. "One of ours."

Everyone put away their weapons as the door on the side of the truck slid open upward with a hiss. Stepping out from inside was a woman who wore light clothing and armor. But that's not what phased Demira. The women was tall, with orange skin, white face marking, and blue and white stripped horns that draped down into lekku just passed her shoulders. "Wow…." She gasped, amazed at the sight. She ran back to Depa and Chief on the ramp and whispered, "Depa? Is that a Togruta?"

"Yes," the Jedi master whispered back.

"She's so pretty." Demira gasped silently.

"Ahsoka, hey!" Ezra called out.

Ahsoka smiled as she came to walk up to the group. The crew met with her in the middle, greeting her joyously. Hera especially. "I'm guessing the attempt by the Rebellion earlier was a distraction."

Ahsoka nodded. "Sorry if we made it seem like we abandoned you. We had to convince the Empire just that. We tried to get here fast enough but when we landed we had no idea where to start looking. And it wasn't helping with the static in this place."

"I'm just glad you're here," Hera said relieved.

"How did you manage to find us here though?" Kanan asked.

Ahsoka pointed at Bele, "That thing did." Bele, seeing he was being addressed by Ahsoka, bowed towards her. Ahsoka said, "He came out of nowhere, bowed, and I got a feeling to follow him. So we did."

Sar Sar came around next to Bele and bowed her head too towards Ahsoka. Ezra pointed out, "Looks like they really like you. It took Sar Sar a couple of hours to just get used to me."

The Chief, Demira, Depa looked around, noticing the trees had began to move. The wind picked up, but it wasn't cold. It was a warm gust, making the trees leaves blow in Ahsoka's directions. The Chief whispered, "Who is this Ahsoka?"

Depa knew what he was getting at, but she was just as surprised at the reaction of nature towards the former Jedi. Depa said, "She was a Padawan to one of our greatest Knights… All I know is she is still an alley."

Coming out from where Ahsoka came from, an elderly man with a bald head and white bearded stood just next to the truck. He wore a heavy amount of used white armor. Depa stiffened for a moment. Kanan felt it and looked back at her. Chief did too and asked, "Depa…"

"I'm fine." She said.

"Depa…"

"It's just… he's a clone…"

Demira heard this and gasped, "Is he really?"

"Ah… But Caleb said…" The Chief began…

"I know…" She looked at Kanan and he gave her an encouraging nod. Yes, he told her about the clones now, but it was hard to get rid of the memories that quickly.

The elderly man came up to the crew and looked at the shattered window of the ship. He whistled and said in gruffly, "You weren't kidding. That thing is Broken."

"Thanks Rex…" Hera said, slightly peeved he had to bring that up.

"Ah, don't worry, Captain," Rex said confidently. "We have in the truck an exact replica of the window needed for the Ghost. One other reason to explain why we took a bit longer to get here." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Hearing this, Hera's smiled widened and said, "Just as long as you have it, I'm more than happy to put being late aside at this point." She and the crew noticed Rex and Ahsoka looked a bit shocked as they saw who was behind them.

The crew parted away for Depa and the Chief to come forward, Demira behind Depa and close. The crew waited, unknowing about the outcome of this meeting. Depa held back nervousness. Even Ahsoka and Rex were nervous about her. That's why Kanan stood next to his master, wanting to see what would go on.

Then it came clear to Kanan as Depa began to speak to them. "I want to welcome you both personally to Panama," Depa greeted them. "Captain Rex… of Skywalker's battalion, am I correct?"

"Yes… um—g-general." He said. Then he winced. Was he supposed to say that anymore? In fact, would she be ok with him speaking to her?

Depa smiled and said, "Your reputation precedes you." Rex relaxed. For a second, he thought he was going to be rejected just like Kanan had done to him when they first met. But Depa made no move or sign of aggression. She was welcome to his presence.

Depa then looked to Ahsoka, sincerely. The Togruta bowed and began, "It's good to see you alive, Master Billaba."

"And you as well, Ahsoka Tano, but please…" Depa reached up and had Ahsoka stand up straight. "After what the Jedi Order had done to you…" Depa hesitated, frowning. Then found the words to speak. "I wasn't there, but I do wish I had been. I would have done my best to stand for you on your trail. I'm sorry for what they did. I invite you, as a friend, to call me Depa, or how ever you wish."

The crew could only watch confused as Ahsoka gulped but kept a calm expression. She said with a genuine smile, "I thank you… Depa. It does mean so much."

Depa smiled and motioned to the Chief. "This is Chief Kerchec. He leads the local village here on Panama."

The Chief bowed, "I personally welcome you as well to Panama, Ahsoka and Rex." The idea of a large group of people living here in this part of wild space was a bit of a shock to the two, but they made no comment.

Then Depa stepped aside so that Demira could be seen by the newcomers. She gasped and moved back behind Depa, playfully. Depa said, "Nuh-huh, come on… how do we greet?"

Demira stepped out from behind Depa and stood next to her. "My Padawan, Demira…" Ahsoka and Rex glanced at each other once before looking back down at Demira. The girl looked at them curiously before she reached out a hand to them. "Welcome to Panama."

Ahsoka shook her hand first, then Demira moved on to shake Rex's. The curious girl tried to hold it back, but she couldn't. "Are you really a clone?"

Zeb and Ezra bit their lip as Hera and Sabine put a hand over their mouths to hide their reactions Kanan raised an eyebrow with a smirk towards Depa ad the Jedi slammed a hand over her forehead and Chief just started to laugh.

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 **A.N: Ahhhh! Finally! I've been waiting for this meeting for a long while. Anyway, looks like Chief and Depa are on a little turf right now, and then there she has to talk to Demira. We'll see soon if they get back to that. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	33. Ch 32: Extraction Plan

**A.N: I can't believe we don't have season 4 yet! The wait is too much! But hey, Voltron S3 came out today. And Rex's voice actor was in it! YEYEEE!**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

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 **Chapter 32: Extraction Plan**

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As the sun began to set, everyone began to work.

Kanan, Ezra, and Ahsoka were together, using the Force to pull off the broken glass dome off the Ghost after it had been unsealed. With proper strong sealant and screws, Rex and to other Rebellion crewman who joined them on the search were now waiting for the new window to be installed. Demira watched from her spot on the grass as she sat cross legged. Her mouth was agape as the three Jedi again used the Force and lift the new window from the back storage of the truck and moved it gently to put into place around the cockpit. Rex and the Rebel soldiers were quick to seal and screw in the window so that it was tight and secure.

Once the window was placed, Rex came down the ramp and up to Hera and Ahsoka. He said the Twi'lek, "All set. Wasn't too hard, huh?"

Hera crossed her arms but smirked. Ahsoka just shook her head. Then they felt they were being watched. Immediately they looked at Demira. She looked at them with curious eyes and a smile. Then she noticed she was noticed and she rubbed the back of her head as a sheepish grin came over her face. She then quickly got up on her feet and she moved on to where Depa was.

Getting back on the subject, Hera asked Ahsoka, "So, what is the extraction plan."

Ahsoka tried to say as calmly as possible, "We had the extraction plan, but when we got here, things changed…"

Inside the truck, everyone from the Chief to the Rebel soldiers stood in a circle in a spacious area of the truck. Demira and Chief looked at their surroundings, amazed. Depa, though, was observing the details. Farther back their were walls with shelves, the shelves were filled with ship parts. She was distracted when Rex began, "Our original plan was to have the Rebel fleet lead the Empire away from this planet while we got the Ghost fixed. We'd thought they'd go after the bigger target. The Rebel fleet. Problem is… the Empire is still here. Who ever is leading in that Star Destroyer, they're dead set on finding you all specifically or they would have gone."

"It's Kallus, and the Inquisitors…" Hera told him. "We managed to evade them all once."

"But how long will that luck last?" Zeb asked.

"With the Ghost we can get away, but we have to wait until the sealant is dry and it doesn't come off during some sort of pressure like battle."

"Long enough for it to dry and then the Empire will find us in time to give the test run we need," Sabine added.

"Sabine…" Kanan warned.

"What?" Sabine exclaimed, "I'm not joking. Look. Having come after us twice, they have a general idea where we're at. Where the Ghost is. They'll use that information to do a tight grid sweep by air and ground. They go around, lock us in. But they're going to want to finish us as soon as they find us because last time just finding us didn't cut it."

"Full ground force and full air strike. We'll be surrounded and picked off."

"Unless we do something," Ezra stated with urgency.

"Like we're not trying that right now, Ezra…" Kanan told him.

Depa, Chief and Demira had been quiet all the time. Chief and Demira obviously trying to understand exactly what everyone was saying to some degree. For Depa, being in a room, surrounded by soldier, and allies, she felt like she was back on the field, the Clone Wars. She closed her eyes and thought strategically, like second nature.

How would she get them out? She forced this problem after crashing their ship. She needed to be the one to get them out. She couldn't leave them stranded against the empire with few resources, little protection. Think, best way out was the Ghost. Well, how do you get a crew with additional—hold on—"

"Ahsoka…." Depa began. Everyone looked at the Jedi Master, a little shocked in suddenly remembering she was there. She continued, "How did you come. I know the truck has no flying capabilities."

"A cargo orbiter."

"Explain."

"A cargo craft, small, maybe just as big as the Ghost. Enough to haul our truck. We modified it to have hyper drive system but if you're thinking of using it for combat there's no use. No canon, no exterior artillery."

Depa nodded and closed her eyes for a few moments. Then she opened them when she looked back to the farthest part of the room. Shelves with Ship parts. "Maybe not for combat. No, but to deceive our enemies."

"Distractions haven't worked for us so well." Zeb cut in.

"Deception, not distraction." Depa looked to Rex, "Captain, judging by the shelves full of ship part this is a repair truck."

"This is just a transport, but our main ship build is the cargo craft we came in."

"What kind of ship parts are supplied?"

"A little of everything."

"Do you still keep older parts, for possible repair."

"Republic army protocol. I'll never forget that. We sure do, General."

"Good. Because we'll need those to fake the Ghost's crash."

"Excuse me?" Hera said, slightly flabbergasted.

"The Ghost, they haven't seen it yet since you got here, correct?"

"Right…" Hera began, wondering where this was going.

"Don't worry," Kanan assure Hera. "She's getting there."

Depa continued, "We place ship parts near your original crash sit. Make them think the Ghost was destroyed on impact."

"But we're alive," Hera cut in. "They won't believe it, let alone a full on crash."

"Maybe not at first. But when they see the crash further, they'll start to think this must be the reason why you didn't leave Panama, especially when the Imperials arrived. They'll think it's the reason you called for the Fleet, because you needed a way off now that the Ghost was destroyed."

"Ok, I see how this can work…" Hera said. "But why do you need the cargo craft?"

"They'll ask how you got stranded, then they'll ask how you intend to get out. As they begin their hunt and as soon as they find the ship crash, we'll have the cargo craft take off and leave. Hyperspace out of Panama if you must. Make them believe you're all on that ship. Soon they'll leave seeing nothing left to hunt down. They'll find out too late that those in cargo craft were just those who came to help you repair the ship. Rex and Ahsoka included."

"And once the Imperials follow after the Cargo craft, the Ghost can safely leave after they do," Sabine said. "It's a lot, but it's a well thought out plan."

"Well thought out plan will need a back up," Kanan commented. He looked at Depa with a raised eyebrow.

"You know I would usually have one already," Depa said in reply, then she frowned. "Unfortunately, I'm a little bit out of the game, so to speak. Need time to think on that."

"Until then we can debrief the others waiting back," Ahsoka said to Rex.

"Wait, this isn't your entire rescue team?" Ezra asked.

"No," Ahsoka replied. "We left our other half back at the cargo ship to guard it."

"Guard it—wait—" Chief now cut in. This was the first time he had spoken with Demira waiting silently next to him. He asked, "Where is this Cargo ship?"

"Several clicks up North. Or at least, we think it's North."

"What do you mean?" Depa asked, worried.

Ahsoka pulled out a small hand held device which she used to display a holographic map of the the planet's surface from a birds eye view. Rex explained, "With the distortion from… well… whatever distorts our instruments, we managed to scan a the planet from above but once we passed the atmosphere we were completely blind. Which is why we had to land… somewhere…."

Ahsoka had the map go from the clearing they were in to move up to show just several clicks away a up, passing along the river which hid the Tribe…. Another clearing. This time though, this one looked brown and used, not green and fresh. "This is where we are located."

Demira and Chief looked at each other nervously. Depa looked down, trying to hide the potential look of… skepticism? Kanan and the others couldn't tell what was happening. The Chief asked, "Is there anyway you can… um… move back from being so close?" He asked, unsure of the term.

"Zoom out?" Ahsoka asked as she did so. The map pulled back farther to show more land around the clearing. There was another two clearing just nearby across from a bit of forest on the left of the screen. The clearing were just as brown and used up too. This time though, one had a particular dark cluster. "Are those…. Tents?" Ezra asked.

"No…." Chief said with a bit of venom in his voice as he looked furiously at the screen. Demira took looked just as agitated, her nostrils flaring like an animal in rage.

Depa didn't turn her head all the way, but narrowed her eyes and shifted them towards the Chief. She was warning him. The Chief waivered a little, but shook his head and said in a strong tone. Chief began to turn back to the exit. "My friends, your people you left behind on that ship are in danger and we must go to them—"

"Kerchec—" Depa began.

He stopped only to say, "You will not stop me." And then he continued out. Everyone followed behind, Ahsoka trying to figure out what the danger was by asking, "Wait- what do you mean—in danger? From what?"

"Nomads," The Chief said as he walked out in the clearing again with everyone stopping just at the entrance of the truck.

"Nomads?" Rex asked.

Zeb explained, "Apparently the Tribe the Chief… they get people who have a reputation for being unmerciful always coming around this time of year."

"They even leave kids on to die," Ezra said.

Sabine nudged him in the side and whispered, "Really you're going to say that out load with Demira here—" She stopped when she realized Demira wasn't in their group.

Depa said strongly, taking a step forward towards the Chief. "We will go and regroup with their group, make sure they're ok."

The Chief said, "They are strangers to them, the Nomads will not risk it and take a chance—"

"You don't know that—"

"All the evidence is there—"

"Why can't you for once—"

"You have to understand—"

"It's you—"

with every word, the Chief and Depa stepped closer and closet to one another until they got in front of each other's faces in trying to get their point across.

"Ftang!" Came Demira' voice from near the Ghost. Everyone looked to see her coming into view from behind the big ship. She had Sar Sar next to her, her neck lowered so that the girl could stroke the side of her creature's face.

Depa said, "There is not reason to get ready for a battle that may not happen."

"A battle?" Kanan asked, a little surprised.

The Chief said, "It is likely your people have been captured and the Nomads will not let them go without a fight. It is in their nature. It may be hard to believe. But you must trust us if you want to get your people back safely.

Ahsoka cut in, "If what I'm understanding is true… these Nomads are a different group that are potentially dangerous and have our men, shouldn't we approach without provoking a fight. After all, if these are the same people but a different group, wouldn't talking be another choice."

Depa looked back, "Trust me when I say I have been doing my best to elaborate the point for fifteen years yet…" she looked back at the Chief, "No one seems to listen."

"It's not a matter of listening but experiencing. We all have experienced them in our own ways." He looked at Demira. Everyone looked at the girl again. This time she had latched on her spear to the strap on her back, her lightsaber on her hilt and dawned her monster mask. Sar sar bent he head lower so that Demira could jump on the base of her neck easily. Sar Sar stood up and began to move toward the Chief.

"Demira—" Depa began.

The girl said, "No one should get hurt like me."

Rex and Ahsoka looked at each other. They seemed to understand somewhat of what Chief meant by experience. But still…. Rex added, "In all my years of combat, I've known that the hardest of people can be reasoned with.

The Chief jumped on to Sar Sar as she passed by, crouching on the arch of the creature's back as Demira lead the way. He said to Rex, "People…. You are people, Rex. All of you are. But these Nomads are not People.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **A.N: So we have a plan, but looks like we have another problem. But maybe it's not a big problem a they think. All we have left, is to confront the Nomads. That's next. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	34. Ch 33: Recon

**A.N: Who's ready for that ObiWan Movie! Yeeeee!**

 **Piperw124: No problem and here yah go! : ) !**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

* * *

 **Chapter 33: Recon**

* * *

Night was approaching, the darkness covering the sky, but the three moon's light gave way to see through the dense jungle. Everyone had gotten into the Speeder Truck, one of the Rebel soldiers driving as everyone was in the back of the cargo room. There were windows that looked out to which Kanan had been staring out there the whole time. He saw Depa on the back of Belle, the Jedi master had her head down but her eyes staring ahead. Belle did the same. Leading the way back to where the Ahsoka and Rex had left the Cargo Orbiter, Sar Sar was marching ahead with Demira and the Chief on her back. All the way it was quiet, and it wasn't because some were outside while everyone else was inside. Depa could have tried to say something, but Kanan continued to look outside, there was no exchanged of words.

Not even about the bantha in the room.

Zeb asked, "Nothing yet?" as he sat on a crate with Sabine.

Kanan turned around and said, "No, not a word. She should say something."

"She tried, Kanan," Hera said while she sat next to Ezra on some seats built into the walls of the cabin. Hera continued, "But Depa told us that ten years and nothing can change Demira's mind. Besides, I understand Demira's digression here."

"Maybe we're being a bit quick to judge here—" Kanan said.

Ezra added with a deadpan, "Kanan, they left Demira to die at three years old." Chopper added something in droid speak, making Ezra say, "See, even Chopper agrees, and that's saying something."

Ahsoka and Rex had been standing by the door leading to the front of the ship. Having heard what Ezra said, Rex said, "Wait? Demira was the child left to die you were talking about earlier."

Ahsoka then said, "Demira's not just angry at this Nomads reputation, but angry of what they did to her. Do you know why the Nomads did that?"

"No," Kanan put in. "and that's exactly the point Depa and I have been trying to make. There is no way that a land as peaceful as this can produce savages for no reason. There is no evidence, the Chief said so. Just rumor. And that rumor was only strengthened when Demira was left behind."

Zeb snarled, "Rumor or not, Kanan, no one should leave a kid behind to fend for themselves."

"Has no one even considered it could have been an accident they left her behind?"

"Accident? She was left there for days," Sabine said. "If these Nomads cared they've would have come back. They would have done what they can for her, no matter the consequences." The Mandalorian girl dug her nails into the side of the crate. She knew what it felt when family didn't do everything in their power to protect their family members.

Rex asked, "If it's just a tall tale, why is the Chief making a scene? As a leader, he should be level-headed."

"I agree…." Ahsoka said, "So I suggest we all keep a level head, no matter what we find back at the Cargo ship."

Getting to where the Cargo ship had been left was hard for many to keep a level head. The minute they got there and put the spot lights from the truck onto the scene, everyone's nerves doubled. There were scorch marks on the ground from blaster fire. Spears were lodged into the side of the ship. Shoe prints and foot prints were found everywhere with signs of a struggle. Ahsoka, Rex and the rest of the repair crew that came with theme immediately ran to the Cargo Ship's bay doors. They went inside and looked around. No one was there.

When Ahsoka and Rex came out, they met with the Ghost crew. Ahsoka said, "Whatever happened, it didn't end as badly as it could have. No sign of blood or bodies. They could have just been taken."

"All the more reason to worry," The Chief said as he jumped off of Sar Sar and came up to the group. "To the minds of the Nomads, death is a quick end. They may have taken your people to suffer—"

"Kerchec!" Depa yelled as she jumped off of Bele.

"I speak the truth, Depa!" the Chief screamed back.

"You jump to conclusions too quickly."

"Look around you," He motioned with his hands all around at the clearing.

"None of this tells that they are suffering."

As they argued, Demira had begun to climb the Cargo ship. She would grab some spears and pull them off the side of the ship, looking at them with distaste before letting them slide of the ship and onto the ground so she could continue forward.

Depa continued, "There must be a reason they have been taken." Depa then addressed the group, "I suggest we find out what really happened before we do anything. Call this a recon mission. We can form a plan of rescue around the information we gather."

"A small group should be deployed, then," Ahsoka added, "I'll come with you. I brought them here, they're my responsibility."

"Understood. Chief, you will come. Be our Guide through to the settlement. We've never gone so far. Sabine, I would like for you to join us. Your armor is equipped with the technology we need to see through the dark."

"Yes, Mam."

"Everyone else please stay until our return."

Everyone agreed, seeing as the people chosen were the right choice. But as everyone dispersed to head into the Cargo ship, Demira had slid down the side of the ship and landed in front of Depa. "You need me. Let me come."

"I do need you, but not with me now. I need you with them," Depa pointed to the group walking away. "The Chief and I are going, so I need someone who knows this land to stay and guard the group here. I can trust no one but you."

Feeling a sense of purpose, Demira nodded and grabbed her spear from the latch on her back. She spun it and had the butt end come to a stop by her side. She stood tall and proud and said, "I will not let you down."

As Demira left, the Chief said, "You don't want her coming, do you?"

"Do you?" She asked as she turned around and walked by him.

The chief sighed and muttered, "No," audible enough for Sabine and Ahsoka to hear and look at each other.

Depa and her group made their way through the dense forest, leaving behind the others, going west, away from the river. Belle had joined them, being the the one to guard the group from the back as the Chief lead the way up front. Through the whole trek through the dark jungle, Sabine couldn't help but feel adrenaline. Finally, after being on a land of peace, she was probably going to see what the people of Panama were capable off. Sabine was not at all surprised. Peace didn't last long anyway. She was starting to realize another reason Depa didn't want Demira to come was because of the Nomad's rumor to be savage, not just her history. Just as the reached the edge of the forest, they saw light from a fire up ahead, The chief stopped the group and pointed out to the other side of the forest ridge. Sabine's eyes went wide as she looked to see the largest clearing she'd seen on this planet, big enough to land a Star Cruiser. Grass grew dry but tall, rustling in the wind like waves. In the middle of the giant space, tent-like homes were built randomly in a cluster. Smoke was coming from between the tips of some. There people walking around, but just shadows.

"Sabine…" Depa said.

The girl nodded, putting her helmet on and bring down her scope. She looked through the inferred lens. She whispered to the group., "Men, A lot of them. No women, or children, all men and abled bodied."

"They're more of an army now, aren't they?" Chief hissed.

Depa hissed back, "They women and children must be asleep."

"Then why are the men awake?" Ahsoka asked.

As Sabine focused her scope more, she noticed that the source of light of the fire was a bonfire in the middle of the entire tent cluster. Men were guarding a certain group sitting by the fire. She gasped seeing it was the rest of the repair team. She recognized their jumpsuiTheirhere helmets were no longer on, exposing their tired faces. "I see them all. Their sitting down in front of the fire, and they look like they've been through a lot."

"I knew it—" The Chief began.

"What do you mean Sabine."

Sabine look closer, and realized she may have exaggerated it all. She felt a bit bad and confused as she said, "They just look tired, but not hurt. And I see water bowls in front of them."

"That means…" Depa began

* * *

"That's impossible!" Demira yelled after the Chief finished explaining what they had seen after they returned to the group. Her yell echoed off the walls of the cargo room of the ship. "Nomads do not take care of strangers."

"Apparently they are now," The Chief said, sounding flabbergasted.

Depa grunted and said, "You two can talk all you want of what you believe or not but we saw what is the truth."

"Then why take them if they are so nice? Why keep them there?"

"Miscommunication, Chief, the Nomads were not as lucky as to have learned how to speak basic from Trader Rack. The Nomads are confused as to what these people are and don't trust them enough to let them go. That's why I suggest we go again with a small group tomorrow and talk to them so they understand—"

"Tomorrow?" Kanan asked.

"A night, they will think it is a surprise attack. The more daylight and out in the open, the more vulnerable we are and the Nomads will not think it as an attack. A small group too."

Ahsoka said, "All right, then at first light, You, Chief and I will go and—"

Hera then cut in, "I'm sorry Ahsoka but I have to say this. Since all this occurred because our ship was damaged, I'd feel much better if I see this through with you."

"Wait then if Hera goes, we go," Zeb said. Sabine, Ezra, and Chopper spoke in agreement. Depa looked at the crew. She saw their need to be as a team and go with Hera. But Depa couldn't let them all come. Too many people would agitate the Nomads. Especially strangers from off world.

Depa wanted to argue, but the Chief said, "I'd be much happier if we brought back up in case—"

"Words will avoid a fight—"

"Not always. Are you certain this is a special situation?"

"Kerchec I—" Depa stopped when she finally felt a wave of emotions from a certain someone reach a peak since the conversation began. She looked to Demira. The girl's head was down, but Depa could see her confusion and anger. Demira hated the Nomads but she was trying so hard to understand their actions as of today. Depa got an idea. She looked to the Ghost crew and thought again. Maybe their presence wouldn't be an entirely bad idea.

"All right. Captain….," Depa addressed Rex, "Tomorrow, you will remain with your rescue team. The rest of you along with Ahsoka will come with me. Chief will lead the way."

* * *

Ahsoka and Rex along with the repair team had helped the Ghost crew make makeshift beds in the Cargo ship for everyone else. But Demira, like always, refused to sleep inside the ship. She laid down by Sar Sar's side outside on the grass. Depa was at the entrance of the ship, wondering what to do when the Chief came up and said, "Now would be a good time to talk to her about those Inquisitors."

Depa turned and stared him dead din the eye, "She's asleep, so the one I should be talking to you. Your behavior today against the Nomads is completely unreasonable."

"I have every right to be angry with them. But you have no right to not talk to Demira."

"I have talked to her. And when she didn't she learned her lessoned. I saw the fear when she faced the Seventh Sister. She doesn't need another reminder of that. And besides, the Inquisitors aren't her fault. I should have been harder on her about their capabilities."

"You continue to blame yourself but you don't say that to Demira. Depa. You are her master. When you tell her something or if she learns something from you, she won't forget, because she knows you care more then anyone has ever in her life. But as her Ma'Te she needs to reassurance over and over. I mean, just because you've told her once that she needs to ignore Bruton's remarks doesn't mean those remarks won't stop coming. They'll keep coming, so you'll have to keep being there, even when she does face them head on herself. You are master, but you are mother.

"I know I am."

"Well, it looks like you need the constant reminder too." The chief chuckled as Depa rolled her eyes. The two walked to Bele who slept next to Sar Sar. The Chief sat by Bele's side as Depa slept laying her head down against Bele's head.

* * *

As soon as the sun's light showed over the horizon, everyone was awake. Depa and Ahsoka being the first ones up, to wake everyone up. Rex got to stay behind the repair tea, as well as Bele and Sar Sar.

When the main group got to the edge of the forest to the Nomad Establishment, Depa turned back to the others and said, "There they are," Se pointed back to the large clearing. Everyone could see fully now what was going. Men, women, and children were walking around. Stronger men were guarding the missing repair team.

Demira curled her lip, about to snarl. Depa continued, "Ahsoka you will come with me and the Chief as well as Hera. But I will need everyone else to please stay here."

"But you let us come," Ezra argued.

"To reassure the Chief and his nerves," She said, a bit sarcastically. Said man crossed his arms and shook his head. Depa continued, "But there will be tension if there are too many seen by the Nomads. The less the better. But you do have a purpose here if there is a certainty of conflict."

She looked to Hera. The Twi'Lek nodded and looked at her crew, "Is that understood."

Everyone knew Depa had a point and agreed with their pilot. But Demira wasn't one of them, so she spoke, "And what of I?"

"Like I said," Depa said, "The rest stay."

"But Depa—"

"Padawan," Depa hissed. Quickly, Depa calmed. She remembered what Chief had said the night before. "Demira, when I say listen…."

"Listen and I will hear," Demira said as she seemed to remember. "But you said that before once about the Force."

"You can listen to more then just the Force."

Demira knew when Depa spoke like this, it wasn't just an order. It was advice. Demira would often put it aside once the task was done, but for some reason, Depa saying it again made it important. She would have to listen to understand. Meaning she would have to follow the order and stay with the others. Zeb, Kanan, Ezra, Sabine, and Demira hid behind the bushes that line the edge of the clearing. Depa, Chief, Ahsoka, and Hera walked out of the forest and into the clearing. They only managed to walk three feet before stopping when they heard war cries come from the cluster of tents. Men grabbed their spears and came at them at full speed.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **A.N: Ok so a lot happened. Turns out the rest of the repair team was taken but the Nomads but they haven't done anything, so Chief and Demira need to calm down. And oh, looks like Depa is finally getting somewhere with Demira. Now they're going to face the Nomads, and lets see if it doesn't end in a bloodbath. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	35. Ch 34: The Nomads

**A.N: IMPORTANT NOTE IN THE END, PLEASE READ! Happy Force Friday, everyone! What did you guys get?! I got nothing because I'm stuck in school! Grrr…. Well I'll get something this weekend.**

 **Mogor: That may be hard but will do.**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

* * *

 **Chapter 34: The Nomads**

* * *

Demira and Ezra got a bit antsy, Demira the most. She even leaned forward a little as if she was getting ready to spring.

When the Nomad soldiers came after them, Depa and her group stopped. Chief placed himself in front of Depa but the women quickly pushed him away, putting a hand on his bare chest and making sure he stood by her side. The Chief looked at Depa, a bit worried. She said, "No provocation."

Kanan put a hand on Demira's shoulder, and she looked to her left, to him. He shook his head. Demira nodded, and leaned back, relaxing.

The Nomad soldiers came and stood in a line, like a wall, to block the visiting group from seeing their establishment. As they all stood tall with spears aimed at the group, everyone got a look at them now. Like Kanan and Demira had seen earlier in the day, they wore their kilts with cloth tide tight on the waist and loose woven sleeveless shirts. Their headdress caps making them look taller, and the color of their cloths blending them into the plain. All of them looked at the group skeptically, especially Hera and Ahsoka. They've never seen people like them before.

From behind the group of men, a man stepped out to be between the men and the strangers. He wore more clothing than any one of the other Nomads. He had bage-white skirt-like cloth that went do his knees. He had two blue sashes that went across his chest, making an X-mark. To finish he wore a light green robe made out of light material. In his hands, he held a staff. A large stick that started small on the bottom and ended at the top wider and with a circle carved from the tip. He had really long hair that grew only from the back of his scalp and tied into a braid down to the balls of his feet. The rest of his head was shaved off.

The lead Nomad faced Depa's group, eyeing them with wary eyes. He looked at the Chief, a look of recognition crossing his face. He began with a dark tone, "Lumpe lu nga txan?"

"Pehem ra nga fpil?" The Chief replied with a harsh tone of his own.

"Ftang…." Depa warned.

"What was that about?" Zeb asked.

Demira answered. "That man is Chief Urak of this nomadic group. We've faced him many times in battle. Well, Chief has. I only ever catch glimpses before Depa leads me away."

The Chief took a deep breath and began by introducing his companions Urak. When the Chief pointed to Hera and Ahsoka, Urak's frowned deepened. He said something to the Chief in their language to which Chief responded.

"Can you translate?" Ezra asked Demira.

"Urak is asking if they are stranger from off world. Chief says yes, and that they are here to take their people back. They were taken captive unfairly. Urak says he only took them because he worried they would be hunted or killed by the wild animals." Demira growled, "I don't believe that." The Chief said something to Urak. "And Chief doesn't believe it either."

Urak replied harshly, making his nomads behind him raise their spears higher. The Chief said something in return just as rude, making Depa have to step forward and put a hand on his chest to stop him. "What happened?" Sabine asked.

"Urak asks why we always end up fighting. Chief said it is because the Nomads in the past have been deceptive."

Then Urak said something else, something that made Chief, Depa, and Demira look at him confused. Demira said, "Urak says we should ask your people he took for proof. He's…. he's giving them to us."

Urak ordered two of his men to go and back to the village. They did and on their return, they brought the missing members of Ahsoka's repair team. By then, the other men, women, children, and elders of the village began to walk over and see what was going on. When the repair team got to Depa's group, the people of the village had formed a semicircle around their warrior men and their Chief.

"I don't understand…" Demira began.

"What?" Ezra asked.

"The people, the children, the elders. They are there. They are… there."

"What do you mean by that?"

"They leave their weak to die? Why are they taking care of them?"

Ezra had moved his head up above the bushes to get a better look. Demira was right. Even the sick and elderly were there. Were the rumors not true?

One of the warrior men spotted Ezra peaking and gave a screech like yelp. He pointed to where the rest of the Ghost crew was hiding, making everyone on both sides turn to look. Ezra ducked back below, saying "Whoops…."

Sabine and Zeb slapped him upside the head, both saying, "Nice going, Ezra."

Urak looked at the hidden figure in the tree line ahead before looking at the Chief with a look of betrayal. Depa was quick to say something to him in their language which put the Nomad Chief at ease. Depa then looked back at the hidden group.

Kanan stood up with his hands in the air. "Let's go. Make them know we're not a threat."

Everyone walked out, weapons holstered and hands up, as they went to Depa and the others. When they got there, Depa went up to Demira and put a hand on her to make sure she relaxed as the girl faced the Nomads. She got no reaction. Demira just stared the Nomads down. Expecting them to do something. When Ezra and the others got to Hera and Ahsoka, Ezra said, "Sorry.

Hera crossed her arms and said, "It's not your fault but you should have been more careful. I don't think their leader is going to trust us now that he saw you guys hiding."

"It's not that I don't trust you," said a voice from the Nomad group. Everyone turned now to Chief Urak who stood tall and proud and with a smirk, "But I do ask that you remain truthful from now on."

"Of… course…." Hera managed to say through her shock. Urak spoke basic….. how?

Ezra whispered to Sabine next to him, "Plot twist…."

"Chief Urak?" Depa asked.

Urak said, "I learned your language when I was young. I also learned about people, your people, who lived among the stars. Many from the Plains Tribe learned with me and they, in turn, teach our people."

Urak motioned the repair team to move forward. They all went up to Ahsoka. The Togruta asked, "Are you all ok?"

"Yes," Responded a repair, women. "They didn't want to hurt us. They saved us."

Demira heard this and gasped in surprise, "What?"

A repair man said, "He said hew knew we came form off world which is why he came to help us from a creature that attacked the ship."

Depa concluded, "That's why we saw signs of a fight by the Cargo ship. The Nomads were protecting you from the creature."

"It was some sort of like… feline… monster—"

"An Iuchi," Urak explained. "It's strong enough to use its claws to tear through rock."

"So you knew it would tear through the ship's walls…" Chief finished.

Urak said, "I did not know you spoke basic."

"The Zuri Tribe learned in my younger years as well."

Kanan asked Urak, "Trader Rack. Was he your teacher?"

Urak's eyes lit up. "You know him?"

"Of him," Kanan said.

Depa said, "He has not come by in the last sixteen full seasons, hasn't he?"

Urak sighed. "No, he hasn't. I believe I know why." He pointed to the repair team. "They said you are all part of a Rebellion. A rebellion to fight an Empire. An empire that replaced the republic. The reason behind the Jedi's downfall. We knew of Trader Rack's powers. The All Mother was strong within him." Chief looked at Urak with a skeptical look. How was Urak, a Nomad, able to talk about the All Mother in such a way that he understood? Urak then said, "There are still people out there fighting for the good. I respect that. You are all welcome here."

Demira shook her head, unable to comprehend what the lead Nomad was getting at. Noticing Demira's rigidness and look of confusion, Depa said to Urak, "We thank you for your kindness. Ayoe zene luno." She then turned to everyone. "Let's go…"

As the off worlders turned around to leave, Urak said, "You speak our language well."

"I had a good teacher," Depa said as she put an arm around Demira's shoulder and had her walk by her side. Urak walked intently as Demira was moved away. The girl looked back at him in wonder, and he did the same to her. Demira was thinking on how the Nomads, all of them, had not once stepped up for a fight. Urak though was thinking something else…. She was part of the Zuri Tribe, yet she looked Nomad. Who was she?

* * *

The repair team was on the Cargo Ship's surface fixing the dents made by the attack of the Iuchi. Sabine and Ezra were walking around with boxes of tools and screws to bring to everyone. The two were whispering together when Zeb came and said, "What are you two lovebirds talkin' bout?"

"Lovebirds?" Ezra asked, amused at the idea.

Sabine elbowed Ezra on the side and said, "Not lovebirds…." Then she looked at Zeb. "We were talking about the Nomads. They weren't like the Tribe said about them."

"Rumors aren't always true. We fell for it." The three of them looked down sadly. They were better than this."

"Well," Ezra said, "I guess we're not the only ones. I mean, I bet Demira and the Chief are beating themselves up right now."

* * *

Depa was with Demira and the Chief at the edge of the landing area. They were all quiet as Depa stood cross armed. She said, "I'm not one to rub it in your face, but I do want to talk.

Hera, Kanan, and Ahsoka stood in front of the truck, far enough away to not hear what was going on but to see what was going on.

Depa continued, "I see you both are confused. I hate to see you like this. I want you to understand what you saw but the only way is to talk about it."

The Chief was the first to speak. "Only because Trader Rack trusted them to teach them what he taught us—"

"Kerchec…."

"I just don't understand how they were able to act so well and yet we've fought for them for years."

"Have you ever thought that perhaps they fight because you prompt them to? Your actions against them have always been based on rumor. Do you think if you knew them then like you do now, battles would not have broken out."

The Chief sighed and said, "Perhaps you are right. I have been quick to judge. I'm sorry Depa."

"I am not one you need to apologize. You will need to go to Urak and say that."

"I will but, I wasn't saying sorry to you because of them. I was saying sorry to you, because we did not trust you. You have always been…. Depa Billaba… the peace keeper among our people when you didn't have to be. The one time you needed to give peace our people pushed you away." The chief looked down in shame. "I pushed you away…"

Depa felt her heart jump, his words cutting deep in places she was still struggling to understand. She reached out and grabbed his hand attentively in hers. She smiled at him and said, "I forgive you, Kerchec."

Chief gave a wiry smile before his eyes darted away. Depa looked and noticed Demira had gotten lost in thought, just staring at the sky. Chief motioned his head towards her as he looked at Depa. Depa understood. Since the Cargo ship was being repaired, there was finally time to talk. Depa put her hand on the girl's shoulder and she got her to sit down on the grass with her.

The master and Padawan were quiet fro a while before Depa finally said. "We've been meaning to talk. More than just what you saw today. We will get to that. But with everything that happened yesterday. The Inquisitors."

"Depa, you've told me many times—"

"Close your eyes," Depa said, her tone much sweeter, not forced. Demira closed her eyes. "Tell me now, what did you see?"

"Masks and monsters."

"Hear?"

"Struggle."

"Feel?"

Demira hesitated on this one before saying, "Anger…. From them. Fear…. From me."

"It's ok to feel that way with them."

Demira was finally ready to say it. She opened her eyes and said, "I'm sorry Depa. I should have listened to you. I just thought they were like…."

"Like what?"

"The Nomads. We've always fought them. The times when I was able to fight the Nomads, when you couldn't stop me, I wasn't afraid. So I thought they were like the dakrsiders you fought in the Clone Wars."

Now it was time to talk about the Nomads. "After today, what do you think?"

Demira adjusted herself so that's he was no longer cross legged but sitting with her hands on her lap. "The Nomads are nothing like the Inquisitors. The Nomads….ngati…. oe ngat fko…."

Ahsoka said, to Kanan and Hera next to her as they watched, "I think Ezra is not the only Padawan still learning from their mistakes."

Kanan nodded in agreement.

Depa adjusted herself the same way. "Fko ngat nga…. Demira. Do you know understand when I tell you to listen."

"Yes. But you always tell me…. I'm sorry I forget."

Depa pulled the girl into a hug, "As your Ma'te, I will never let you forget. Don't worry."

Demira understood, but like Chief, she still felt like she failed Depa.

Zeb came by the group and said, "Rex said we should start getting ready with Depa's plan."

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **A.N: Not the most somber the most lighthearted tone, but enough to get you reading what happens next, right? So the Nomads aren't the bad guys, shocker… but wait hold up they knew Trader Rack! Now that's a plot twist!**

 **IMPORTANT NOTE**

 **So school is starting and though I'm usually able to update every two weeks during school, this semester is different. I have a class that is considered the hardest class in the entire animation program. I've heard stories and it doesn't sound like I'm going to have as much time writing as I used to. With that in mind, I don't want to leave you hanging for a whole semester so I will be updating ONCE every Month. Expect this story to be updated on the First Friday of every month until December. Thank you guys for sticking with me and I'll see you all on the next update. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	36. Ch 35: The Inedible

**A.N: And I'm here to bring some much-needed rebels related chapter updates because We're only a few days away from the premiere of season 4! Wolf's! WOLF'S EVERYWHERE!**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

* * *

 **Chapter 35: The Inedible**

* * *

Clouds covered the sky, blocking some light from the three moons. One pierced through the veil of clouds, it's light shining over a large clearing of tall grass. The reeds blew in the wind, making wave motions with every gust. A cloaked figure ran into the clearing, holding something in their hands pressed against their chest. They stopped in the middle of the clearing, kneeling down and putting whatever it was down on on the ground, surrounded by bushels of tall grass. The item turned out to be a young toddler, a girl, wrapped in orange faded cloth.

The girl looked up at the shadowy figure, seeing nothing but a silhouette against the brightness of the moon behind them. The figure leaned over, got close to the girl, before raising themselves up over them again. Soon, the figure was gone. The girl looked around, trying to understand where they went. Seeing nothing but the sky over her, she began to cry. She cried and cried, her wails turning to screams into the night.

* * *

"Demira…."

At the sound of her name, the eighteen-year-old turned to Ezra who came to sit by her on a fallen log. Demira said, "Hello Ezra."

"Hey, you ok?"

"Yes…"

"Really because Sar Sar has been standing over you waiting to be petted for five minutes."

Demira looked up and saw Sar Sar looking down at her. She had a pleading look in her eyes as she gave a low gentle gurgle. Demira said, "Oh…" She reached up and scratched her under the chin. The Kuri's eyes rolled back as she smiled and gave a happy growl.

"Usually you would notice. Were you thinking about the Nomads." Demira didn't answer but Ezra knew. Or at least he had an idea. "Hey don't feel bad. You weren't the only one. Chief even—heck even we were. And we've never been here before. Rumors are gruesome."

"But they never were rumors. Not to me. Why me?"

"Why you—oh…. You mean your heritage."

Demira stopped petting Sar Sar and looked down at the grass floor. "If they have always been nice, we were they not nice to me. Why leave me?"

"Maybe they had a reason?"

"But what? I should know."

"No, don't say that. That will just eat you up inside."

"Eat me up?"

"You'll feel guilty for nothing, that's what I mean. Look, you were like three right? You couldn't have known?"

"No…. but I…. see…."

"See what?"

"When I was little, before I met Depa, I used to have dreams. I saw someone leave…. Me."

"You mean, you remember the Nomads leaving you?"

"I can't have remembered. I was too young. If I remembered, I would know who left me. But I don't them."

"Well, what do they look like?"

"I can't see? It's not complete. Even though I stopped having them long time before Depa, I told Depa about them. She told me I was having visions. They come when I need them."

"So, if you're having them now after like ten years,"

"It must mean I need the vision. But why now?"

Ezra thought about what she had said, then about earlier events. "Maybe, maybe it's coming back because you're questioning the goodness of the Nomads. The more you open up to them, the more visions reveal."

"I guess that is a good theory."

Sabine came running out of the ship towards the two padawans. "Hey guys, you're going to want to come in and hear this."

Sabine had gathered everyone who was outside and brought them into the cockpit of the Orbiter. A hologram projection of Kallus hovered over the control panels as everyone surrounded to hear it. When Demira saw it, she whispered, "Nyeeho."

Kallus continued with whatever he was talking about, "… given that you have caused such setbacks in our mission to capture the Rebels we have no choice but to consider you one."

Depa crossed her arms and whispered to the Chief, "He's already said this before to me and Demira… called us criminals…"

Kallus continued. "And even when we respected your request of creating a so-called border, you did not seem to follow your own side of the bargain. You attacked High Ranked Imperials who were on a routine search.

"Is he talking about the Inquisitors?" Zeb began.

"And there was no deal about us attacking them—" Sabine added.

"Shhh," Hera hissed.

"In this case, we are to assume your deal has expired and we are to continue our pursuit of the Rebels onto that land. In addition, considering your abilities our orders are to shoot to kill."

"As always…." Ezra said with slight boredom.

"Considering all these circumstances, and the many threats against the Empire hidden on this planet, we have no choice but to burn the land to the ground."

The chief and Demira gasped and looked at each other. Then he hissed, "It's not possible."

"As long as you and the rebels surrender yourselves, the land will be spared. You have twenty-four hours to meet at the so-called border. Think carefully."

The transmission paused before repeating itself again. Rex stopped it all together, the hologram disappearing as he said, "It's going to keep repeating until that twenty-four hour mark. They broadcasted it through any channel that could bypass the bad connection here. They wanted to make sure we got it."

"So that we could surrender ourselves for sure…" Kanan concluded.

The Chief ran hand through his dark hair before saying to Depa, "You were right….. they figured out there is a planet full of us the minute I came out into the open. How else would they come up with the idea to just burn the land if they didn't think there could not be only three people living on this planet?

"Kerchec—" Depa began.

The Chief waived his arms around, "And Bruton told me too. He's stubborn but he's stronger with the Force then I am. He must have sensed something, I should have listened to him. How long will I go on until I realize that helping you would be dangerous—"

"Kerchec stop." Depa put a hand on her shoulder and the other over his left cheek. "Your kindness to strangers maybe to a fault but it is in no way the means of it all. If you think generosity is a killer then you will lose your compassion altogether." The Chief raised a hand and rested it on top of the one Depa had over his cheek.

"Besides," Ahsoka cut in. "The Empire will do anything to get us at this point. Even if they didn't find out there were possibly more people here, they would have burned the land anyway." Depa put her hand down from the Chief's cheek, but she did not leave his side as she leaned into him. Ahsoka continued, "They're desperate, so in burning Panama, it means they know we're grounded for now."

"Not anymore," Zeb said. "The ship is fixed. We can fly out. Let them think we're on the run and they leave this planet alone."

"But that's exactly why we came up with the fake-the-Ghost's-destruction plan in the first place," Sabine said. "They'll shoot us down with everything they've got on that Star Destroyer the moment we fly out."

"So do we just scrape that Ghost-destruction plan?" Ezra asked.

"If we still need to get past the Star Destroyer, we can't scrape it," Rex answered.

"But it doesn't mean we can't leave the planet. The Empire will burn this planet now," Ezra finished strongly. Now everyone was silent. Every option they had landed on a new problem. What could they do? They leave, Panama will be burned, they stay, everything still burns.

After a few moments,Kerchec said, "Then we have no choice then…" He looked at Depa. "The Zuri must leave the Waterfall."

* * *

The Shaman was in his tent when the Tribes Healer called to him from outside. He had been meditating when he was broken out of his trance by her worried tone. He grabbed his staff and quickly rushed out. Pulling back the tarp door, he walked to the healer who was looking out over the edge of his rock pillar. The women was looking down towards the ground below so the Shaman looked down as well. The Zuri were gathered at the edge of the river, looking to a canoe being steered by M'Stari, the Waterfall's Guard. In his canoe was Zeb, Chopper, Sabine, Hera, and someone new. An orange skinned Togruta. The Canoe was being escorted by Bele and Sar Sar swimming alongside them. With Sar Sar was Demira and Ezra as Depa was on Bele with Kanan and Chief right next to her.

.Recognizing the whole group, the Shaman growled and began to march down the ramp that led him down to the ground.

Getting to the shore, the Chief was the first one off, helping the Ghost crew off the canoe along with M'Stari. As Depa was getting off Bele with Kanan, She sensed a twinge in the Force and looked into the crowd of people gathering. She saw the top of a crocked staff coming through the parting sea of tribe members. Depa stood tall and ready. Demira on the other hand, as she helped Ezra off Sar Sar, felt the presence and immediately hissed, "Mkuu—"

The Chief's head perked up as he helped Zeb be the last one off the canoe. Then he looked back as saw the Shaman coming marching right up to him. "Bruton—" He began.

"Do not Bruton me, Kerchec. The council's decision was unanimous. The strangers were to leave as soon as their ship was fixed."

"Technically, the decision wasn't made. Hera offered to leave—"

"That does not matter, what matters is they are here, and with more people!"

"Just one—"

"Don't twist my words. You may be younger than me but it is time to stop trying to be clever."

Ahsoka whispered to Sabine, "So this is the Shaman then? I can see what you mean by the aggressive part.

The Chief said, "I am trying to be serious! You're making it hard not too."

"Then tell me what's so important that you had to bring them back here."

"The Zuri must leave the Waterfall. Ayoe zene txing Mjaji!"

The whole crowd suddenly became worried and whispered among each other. The Chief heard them and turned to face his people. He looked around as he said something desperate in their language. He made arm motions to show the drastic situation that was to come. More and more, peoples worries grew to fear, some women gave a small yelp and children whimpered. Others in the tribe continued to whisper among themselves.

The Shaman was the only one steaming with fury, and when the Chief was done explaining to the people what was to happen, the Shaman began to march to Depa and the group of strangers. "You-!"

"Shaman please," Depa tried to say as she stood in front of the group. She worried that he would attack them like he did with Kanan the other day. "It's not their fault," she tried to tell him.

"You already said that, and you know what," the Shaman stopped just in front of Depa, "You're right. It's yours. You said I could blame you, and I am. And it makes sense, doesn't it? If you hadn't crashed their ship, if you hadn't crashed your ship, if you hadn't come to this to this planet in the first place—"

"Bruton!" The Chief began to argue as he went up to the group.

Kanan and the rest of the crew also weren't having it. "Hey now—" "Wait a sec—" "It was a mistake—" "Not her fault—"

Ahsoka watched the exchange go back and forth. It's not that she wasn't involved in the first place, she, after all, brought more people which made the situation worse. It's that she knew letting people blow off steam got them to listen after. What she would say after the Shaman was done arguing… that was the problem. Shae barely knew him or the ways of his people. Ahsoka's eyes darted to the other person who had been quiet this whole time. Demira stood by her master's side, staring at the Shaman in anger. But Ahsoka could tell by body language Demira was waiting for the right moment.

Ezra tried to say to the Shaman, "Just because it could have been avoided doesn't mean this is something that we can turn back and fix. It happened now you just have to—"

"To what? And you, tell me what to do? And what kind of authority do you have…." he motioned to the whole group. "Do any of you…. Have over telling me what to do. I will not listen to you strangers."

Depa was outraged by the Shaman's stubbornness to listen and she tried to say, "Shaman—"

"And you as well, Depa Billaba, I will tolerate no longer—"

"Bruton—" she tried to say.

"You do not belong here. You are not one of us—"

"Ftang!" Demira yelled as she came up to stand closer to Depa and face the Shaman. "She belongs here."

"Easy for you to say…" The Shaman hissed. At first Demira was going to keep quiet, like she always does after the Shaman hints on her past.

She looked at Depa who looked down at her. Usually, Depa wouldn't say something and wait until later but now…. after their talk… It was time for a different approach.

Demira looked up at the Shaman and said, "It is easy for me to say…."

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **A.N: Demira is having visions of her past meanwhile everything is going to shit with the Empire. Deciding it is best to leave the waterfall for another hidden valley, everyone goes back to tell the bad news but Bruton and his ego get in the way of the real problem. Now, with Demira stepping forward what will be said? Find out next time. Remember, I update the first Friday of every month. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	37. Ch 36: Demira's Time

**A.N: By the time I post this I will be going on a school field trip and getting an early screening of Coco (HYPE IS REAL). But do want to say that I'm glad Rebels is getting more in touch with the nature/animal side of the force with those damn beautiful lothwolfs (MORE HYPE)! If the Depa/wolf theory turns out to be true, I will forever be satisfied. (MEGA HYPE)**

 **Guest: ak! Good catch. I'm pretty good with using spell check and grammerly but I'll be more careful next time. I'M GLAD YOU LOVE MY STORY!**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

* * *

 **Chapter 36: Demira's Time**

* * *

"I will no longer back down," Demira said as she faced the Shaman. Her eyes shifted back as she felt Depa's presence right behind her. Demira knew Depa had her back, and to assure her Depa kept an arm on the girl's shoulder.

Feeling personally attacked the Shaman took a step forward and leaned closer to her and said, "How dare you—Oofa!"

"I am no Oofa, I am Demira," the girl said confidently as she took a step forward. "And I tell you that you can't blame Depa or my new friends. They did not mean for this to happen." The Ghost crew and Ahsoka watched as the girl stood up to the Shaman for them. Their eyes were wide open, having never seen her stand up to anyone in the Zuri Tribe before.

In fact, no Zuri member had seen Demira stand up to the Shaman until now. The Tribe surrounded them as they watched in awe at the argument. To retaliate Demira's remark, the Shaman said, "It doesn't matter if they did intend to or not. It happened because of them."

"It's not their fault."

"They are outsiders, they are dangerous."

"They have not tried hurting us."

"You don't need to know that. Look at them."

Now everyone's blood was boiling on that remark. But Demira was the one who turned the conversation around. "Look at them? Them? Why them? Why are you threatened by anyone different from you?!" Shaman looked like he knew what he was going to say, like he always did, but that remark finally got him to be quiet. He took a step back away from Demira. Seeing the confusion in his eyes and feeling the uncertainty in waves, Demira began to relax too. She leaned back and stood up straight to continue, "It's why you are threatened by me, isn't it? I'm different. I know, I am Nomad blood." The Shaman became a bit surprised at this remark. Demira had never outright admitted she was Nomad. There were many times Shaman wish she would have before so that he could call her out. But now that the time had come, he found himself listening instead of trying to fight back. "My new friends are different blood too. But that does not mean we can't understand them. If we do not understand them, then we do bad things. In not understanding them, the decision to leave them out in the wilderness to fend for themselves has easily exposed them the Empire."

The Shaman's eyes shifted back and forth, know seeing that the council and him had been the ones who made it easy for the Empire to find them when the crew was dismissed from the village. "But you see now? Just like our friends lead the Empire here but did not mean too, so did you not mean for the Empire to get closer to our Tribe home by finding our friends."

The Shaman slowly looked up at Demira and said, "Why do you speak like this now?"

"Because I the last few days I saw new things. I saw the Nomads."

The Shaman's eyes widened and he looked to the Chief. The Chief raised his head and came to Demira's said and said, "We all saw the Nomads. We understand what we failed to see. They are like us. In peaceful negotiation, we saw the truth, not the rumors we've lived so long thinking. You may not want to understand the Nomads yet but know that in at least understanding our guest you can see clearly the real problem we must face. It is not our friends."

The Shaman looked up at the outsiders. He was at a loss. He had always been confident that he was right, but he didn't want to admit it, but Demira was going somewhere with this. So all he could do was tell them the truth in response. Tell them why he was the way he was, "I worry…. For my people."

The Ghost crew along with Ahsoka looked at each other. At first, they were a bit skeptic but they had seen many people who, even if not entirely convinced, had, in the end, sought their help. Hera, being the one who had the most criticism from the Shaman, was the one to step forward and say, "And we understand that. We all have our own people and fear for their safety, too. We know how much family and culture mean to you just as much as our cultures mean to us. So let us help in any way we can to preserve your Tribes ways. Let us help you get to safety."

The Shaman nodded and said, "Thank you." He looked at the Chief and said, "And so…. Will you tell them?"

The Chief looked down at the floor ashamed before looking back up at the Tribe and addressing them. He said something in his language, making everyone in the Tribe whisper among themselves, so words of fear and some words of anger. One of them, a male warrior, stepped forward and said something in a questioning tone. The Chief sighed and responded with a heavy heart. Almost immediately, the Tribe erupted in a roar of terrors and wails.

"What just happened?" Kanan asked.

"The Chief just told the Tribe why we had to leave," Depa explained.

"Didn't we tell them earlier? The Empire is coming." Zeb asked.

The Shaman came up to the group and said, "Yes, but you didn't tell us what they were going to do to the land here. Burn it? To the ground? Is that even possible?"

Hera said, "There's a lot that the Empire can do. But if we hurry and get the Tribe out of here, they'll be safe."

At that, the Shaman almost looked like he would faint as he leaned on his staff. Depa went up to the Shaman and tried to console him by putting a hand on his shoulder. Then Depa looked back at Hera and the crew to say, "That's not the problem…"

The Chief was trying to calm his people down but to no avail. They all continued to scream and cry. Couples held each other in comfort. Children hid behind their parents. Elders came together and huddled, already in mourning. The Chief looked to the Shaman who could only stare back at his Chief with a blank gaze. Demira stepped away from the crew towards the Chief before stopping in the middle. She turned around slowly, watching everyone yell and cry. Demira bit her lip and put a fisted hand over her chest. Ezra went up to the girl and began, "Demira…."

"All Mother…" She started as she turned back to face the crew, "She's everywhere….."

It suddenly dawned on the outsiders why the Tribe was reacting in such a way. Yes, they were worried for their lives, their families. But it was more to that. The Force, the All Mother. They believed she lived in all living things, three mountains, the jungle, the animals. If any part of the planet was destroyed, burned, then a part of the All Mother would be gone. A connection broken. Even if Ahsoka, Kanan, and Ezra understood the feeling better then the others. Sabine, Hera, and Zeb could still understand in some way that the land was tied to the Tribe like history. If part of their history, their culture was gone, it could easily break them.

The Chief went up to Depa and said, "I… I can't… I usually know what to do but… we're at a lost."

"We once they have calmed down, we can move."

"It won't get calmer," The Shaman said. "It will only get worse when the Empire…. Oh 's aka…." He had to lean into the Chief to make sure he didn't fall.

"I know, I know…" Depa trying to console him.

The crew huddled together, Ahsoka being the one to say what they were all thinking, "They'll never be the same again."

"Even before the Empire has done anything to them they already are hurting," Sabine said.

"There's gotta be something we can do," Zeb growled.

"It's either we give ourselves in or run…," Hera stated.

"Maybe we should…" Kanan mumbled.

Hera quickly interjected, "Kanan—"

"At least I will—"

"No way—" Ezra began, "I'm no letting you get captured again."

Demira had moved away from Depa, Chief, and Shaman and looked to the crew as they argued. She then looked back at her leaders. Distraught. She looked at the Tribe, devastated. How could this finally be the moment where her Tribe's stubbornness and strength had finally fallen. They were a proud group and suddenly the world was coming undone and they felt helpless. She understood their pain, and through the force, she felt it too. Everything they stood for would burn. Everything they fought for—

"Wem fpi—" Demira ran to the crew and hissed. "We must fight!"

The crew stopped arguing and looked at Demira in bewilderment. She turned to Depa, Shaman, and Chief who had their heads perked up the minute she yelled. Depa stepped forward and began, "Demira?"

"The Tribe. We are to protect All Mother. She fights for us. We fight for her. It makes sense." At this point, the people who understood basic started to calm down and listen.

"You can't fight the Empire," Zeb said, "You'd be going up against gunships, with bows and arrows."

"This is our home. We know the land. They don't. We have the advantage." People who understood got their people to calm down and try to listen as well.

"Demira…please… " Hera tried to reason, "Try to understand if we expose the Tribe, it will only confirm their existence to the Empire."

"We've hid for so long. We must act." A shout of approval came from the crowd. Demira and the others looked back once before turning back to each other. Demira added, looking to the crew, "You knew that when you started fighting you would be easy targets for being such a small group. Yet, you pushed passed it and fight against the Empire anyway. Why should we not be allowed to fight for what we think is right if you already to do the same?" Crew shrugged, knowing Demira had a point yet there were still many reasons why they still shouldn't fight back.

Two more shouts of approval came from the crowd. Demira turned to the Tribe seeing as many were translating to those who couldn't speak basic. Some nodded in agreement with their fellow translators, others didn't, making the translators doubt as well. For a slight second, Demira felt the way she always had been. Rejected. But then she remembered just seconds ago someone had agreed and she had seen some nod approvingly. She needed to get the whole Tribe on her side. After all, they had to. This was the way of the people, to protect the land. If she stopped now and let their doubts of her influence what she would say next, she would be giving up on their culture.

Demira looked back at her leaders, hoping they can back her up. They still looked uncertain, just like those who had not cheered in the crowd. Demira looked to the crew, wondering if they would say anything about her earlier statement. Nothing. Demira was slowly starting to let the doubt sink in when she noticed Depa. In the Jedi's eyes she could see it, uncertainty, but her smile. She was still able to smile. Demira had locked eyes with her, and then her master nodded. The Padawan felt a swell of confidence. Depa may feel uncertain about Demira's plan, but she trusted her. Demira stood tall and turned herself so that she had the crew and the leaders on her right with the Tribe on her left. She had to not only appeal to her people, or only appeal to her friends, she had to get everyone on her side. Demira closed her eyes and concentrate.

When she opened them she began slowly, "The Empire has sent us a message. Empire 'es atu teru vei. That they can take whatever they want and that no one can stop them. Uwari sat leo, wedo 'ul." Soon her serious tone turned into that of willpower. "But we will send them a message. Kat ato waru vei. We will ride out as fast as wind howls! Kamti'win' alai seku eio ba." Small cheers started to rise up from the crowd, many from the warriors. Shaman and the Chief's eyes sparked. Demira was rallying the people.

Demira continued, "We fight alongside our friends from the outside who have beaten the enemy time and time again! Aler' a'ho ensi ba koo teka fpa chu!" The crew's head's perked up as Demira said those words and the crowed cheered with now families joined in. For the first time since this all began, Kanan, Hera, Zeb, Sabine, Ezra, Ahsoka and even Chopper felt hopeful.

Demira looked at Depa, Kanan, Ezra, and Ahsoka but yelled out for everyone to hear, "We tell them our Jedi call to them! Awensi ag'po Jedi!" The crowd cheered louder, some words of encouragement audible as Demira spoke. Depa's smile grew wider as she stepped forward to Demira and stood tall next to her. Demira and Depa held hands as they turned their back to the crew and leaders and looked to the crowd. Demira yelled, "You fight now with me? Tyuyts'a breke?"

The crowd cheered, making the Chief step forward, coming next to Depa as Demira said, "My brothers!"

The Chief translate, "Ma tsamuka!"

Depa smiled at him as males in the crowd yelled out. The Shaman was suddenly by Demira's side. She smiled at him as she yelled out, "My sisters!"

The Shaman translated "Ma tsamuke!"

Women warriors cheered them on. Demira screamed, "We will show this Empire…" She faltered as Chief translated. She saw the crew come by their side. Kanan, Hera, and Chopper by the Chief's side. She then looked to the other side of Shaman. Ezra, Zeb, Sabine, and Ahsoka were standing there. The leaders, the crew, Demira, and Depa had formed a line front of the crowd, like a strong wall showing their courage. Demira continued, "We will show them that they cannot take whatever they want!" The Shaman translated then they all waited for whatever Demira would say. With all the strength Demira had she yelled, "This is our planet, this is our home, All Mother is with us, we are Zuri! Ayoe lu Zuri!"

Depa, the outsiders, and the crew all yelled along with Demira "Ayoe lu Zuri!"

The crowd gave a roar. Several holding their weapons and fist in the air…. All of them… calling out for battle.

The crew and leaders looked to Depa andDemira, and the pair knew right away what to do. They whistled. Suddenly, Bele and Sar Sar came flying out of nowhere and landed behind the line. They lowered their heads and then when lifting them into the air, they roared. The sound echoed with the war cries of the had called out in hope, and she was given in return not only the acknowledgment of her people as a leader figure, but the acknowledgment of her leaders, her friends, and her master as a leader. This was her time.

* * *

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* * *

 **A.N: Cheesy and of course an Avatar nod but I've had this idea in a while and I'm sticking to it because it is about time Demira has done something good instead of just go with the flow or argue. She gets the Shaman to somewhat see the Ghost crew's side of thinsg as well as rally the people. Next the rebels get little spot light. Hopefully by then Rebels hasn't killed me so many lothwolfs! I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	38. Ch 37: Regrouping

**A.N: Long because I said I was coming back early December but didn't because the crazy class I had forced me to pull all-nighters. Now that I'm out for Winter Break, I've got time to update every Friday until the next semester starts, yay! Btw, its been weeks but I'm still freaking out over the mid-season finale HERA HERA HERA HERA! And Last Jedi AHHHHHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **Guest: Yes, I almost copied the HTTYD2 reunion word for word, with some changes to fit the story, that's why I gave a disclaimer note at the bottom.**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

* * *

 **Chapter 37: Regrouping**

* * *

In the large hut where the Council Elders met, the crew with Depa, Demira, and the Tribe Leaders sat in a circle around a map. It was carved into a wide tree bark. The map showed from where the river came out from behind the waterfall to where it went all the way around the mountain.

Depa began, "So far the obvious advantage we have is that we know the land more then they do."

From her spot across from Depa, Sabine added. "All instruments will be useless, too,"

"And… we have five Jedi," The Chief said from next to Depa. Ahsoka, who was sitting next to Sabine, was going to correct The Chief. But the man was already leaning into the Shaman sitting on his other side and nudging him as he said, "Unless you count all Force Sensitives that makes seven."

The Shaman rolled his eyes, "I do not want to be the … what's the word…. Downer… Especially since we just had a rousing speech on positivity in such a drastic time—"

"Really, you're doing this now?" Zeb cut him off. Demira, who was next to Depa, bit her lip to keep from laughing at The Shamans long intro.

"Sorry, but what of the dangers we face. Better to know what we are up against before we waste resources."

"Good point," Kanan said from his spot next to Demira. "We know that even with certain machines not being able to function, especially navigation, that's the problem. If they can't pinpoint us, they'll want to burn the entire forest down to make sure. As many TIE fighters as it takes."

From next to Kanan, Ezra said, "I'd like to go back to talking about our advantages."

"Wait for it… because I'm not just naming out disadvantages… but I think I'm coming up on a plan."

"Already?" The Shaman exclaimed surprise.

Hera smiled from next to the Shaman, "Yep, he's…. pretty surprising that way."

"Listen…" Kanan began. "We first got to make sure that when they attack they don't come equipped to burn the land. We got to entice them to fight so they don't take advantage for a second to burn the land."

"So…" Zeb began.

"So we get them to to come to the ground first. To do that we tell them we surrender."

Hera said to the Shaman, "Ok so at first his plans aren't so great."

"Hey, we're not really going to surrender," Kanan assured. "We just stop them from sending TIE bombers and they send a ground army instead

Depa said, "But you brought a ground army of about how many Stormtroopers against 100 of our soldiers?"

"About a Thousand," Sabine said, "But with about 8,000 waiting as reinforcements."

Shaman seemed to almost pass out and rested his head in his hands. Chief said, "We have only a hundred and fifty warriors and who will go up with bows and arrows against blasters. Reinforcements will be too much."

Kanan added, "Which is why we decrease the numbers as they come before they get to the soldiers. We'll slow them down with an ambush."

The Chief said, "But it's still an attack. If we mean to slow them down so we don't lose energy for the actual fight later on, the ambush must keep them back with one blow."

Zeb had been thinking about the actual fight then the ambush. He thought of the advantage the soldiers had, but he never really saw them fight before. Stormtroopers had more advantages as far he knew, except for knowledge of the land. The land…. Zeb looked at Demira and he remembered something she told him. Zeb said out loud, "An attack from above, which will knock em out!"

Demira saw where he was going with it and she cried out, "The Trees!"

"Exactly," Zeb said. "Your people learn ate young age to climb especially warriors and hunters. That's something the Empire won't expect. They'll never know an attack from the trees until it's too late."

"That will work," Kanan smiled.

"But the Chief will be needed to coordinate the attack from the ground," The Shaman said, "Someone else would have to climb up and lead—"

Demira cut in by pointing to Zeb, "He climbs! He can do it!"

Everyone looked at Zeb who slightly looked nervous being put on the spot, but Kanan was quick to say. "I like it. Instead of just three or four of us leading several groups, each group should have a leader. At least one of in this room. Zeb, you'll lead the ambush team…."

* * *

" _After we're done go with Demira to get a group ready. It should be the young warriors who are still in training. We need the oldest and experienced ones for the main battle later, but the younger ones should be well and ready to strike a quick plow"_

Demira lead Zeb to where many of the young adults her age gathered by the rock face alongside the canyon wall. Demira called out to them, many of them were boys but some were girls, too. I made up about thirty young adults. Though their eyes still held some sort of innocence, like Demira, their skin had faded scars and their bodies were well built and ready. Zeb could find a way to work with that.

Demira sat them all in a circle and explained to them in their language the plan they had. Soon, she started to speak basic, at least the basic they knew so that when Zeb took over, the young warriors in training left for her own task, leaving Zeb the young adults ready. As Zeb got his bo-rifle fixed and ready, the boys and girls got their spears sharpened and were working on making more arrows for their bows. Many gotthere armor of bark and thick vines secure, either making them tighter or adding to it. Some watched Zeb who was trying to fasten some tape around his bo-rifle but it was old and weak. To help, they decided to give him some vines. Sure enough, Zeb managed to use them to secure the binds around his weapon. The rest ofthen time, Zeb hung out with the young adults, sharing tips between each other on how they used the trees to their advantage

* * *

"But knocking them out won't keep them down for long," Kanan added. "We need a way to keep them down."

"Capturing them maybe?" Sabine suggested.

"We'll need to bind them down."

Demira thought before she said, "Or bind them up. Like hunting animals. Like Boans. In trees!"

"What?" Kanan asked.

"We use nets to capture these hog creatures for meat," Depa explained. "Once it's hunted down and the hunting party wants to continue going they wrap the creature in a net and hang it high in the trees to come back later for it."

"So we capture Stormtroopers and hang them in trees with nets! Not only would it slow them down if we keep doing it as they come but it would make it harder for them to get rescued

"But we'll need several thousand nets," Sabine said.

"Our fishers and artisans can work together on that," Chief said, "And they are fast. We can make several thousand by then."

The crew blinked. Sabine stated, "Artisans, too?"

Kanan smirked and said, "Sabine, you've got the numbers down…."

* * *

" _Make sure hunters and artisans are equipped with enough nets and big ones so we can hold back as many Stormtroopers as possible. In the end, you'll lead that group down as Stormtroopers go deeper into the forest and as Zeb and his team keeps ambushing."_

The chief joined Sabine as they crossed over the river using a canoe to the other shore. There, hunters and fishers were gathered talking among themselves by the water line. Not only were their nets on the ground, several of the hunters had nets around them as if adding to their fashion as scarves or vest. Some hunters were putting on camouflage. The Chief called out to another group closer to the rock face of the canyon then the shore. People, mostly women in long but flexible skirts and dresses, came down. Sabine noticed stains of dye on their clothing as well intricate designs to the cloth they wore. Sabine suspected the artisans. The Chief explained to the hunters and artisans their part of the battle plan. Some hunters, especially the younger ones came to inspect Sabine's armor. As they surrounded her, she also got young artisan women around her.

When the Chief had left them to their task, everyone went to work, and Sabine decided to help make nets with them. As she worked her fingers through the strong thread, a hunter women said Sabine, "You will be seen… all that color."

"It is lively," one artisan man argued.

"Yes," An artisan women agreed, "But color no help in battle."

A hunter man said, "It is her mark, she decides color."

Sabine blinked. She looked at her helmet, amazed that they managed to get the meaning behind her armors design and color just by looking at it. It was her identity, how she felt as she grew. But they also had the point that she would be seen. She bit her lip. Well, she didn't have to permanently change it, right? After all,natural dye was temporary. "Hey…" she began. Everyone looked up from their work on the nets, "Can you all help me with something actually?"

* * *

Kanan continued, "For those Stormtroopers that get past Zeb and Sabine, those are the ones we engage with the older warriors. It will be groups between Depa, the Chief, and I. We have a wide range to cover in case they try to surround us. We disarm them, force them back, scare them

* * *

Depa went with Kanan to the group of men and women already getting ready for battle. Though they all had wooden armor already, they added on more wood and vines. As they all sharpened their arrows and spears, Depa explained their role in the battle. But seeing as Kanan only had one piece of arm armor, they thought to help him. They helped secure not only wooden arm plates on his left, but also wooded leg armor.

"I've seen this wood take at least three blaster hits before burning up," Depa assured.

"Hopefully Stormtrooper aim is as bad as it always is," Kanan said. He smiled at one warrior who handed him random wooden bark. Then he looked down at it confused.

The man said, "Mask…" holding his own painted wooden park up.

Kanan was more confused until Depa grabbed her mask and put it on to rest just above her forehead. She said, "It scares the enemy just a little bit more."

"I figured that much but…." He said. "Before I got here, I had a dream, it was first your creatures, but with your eyes, then the bonfire, with these masks surrounding it."

"Sign from All Mother," said the hunter.

A women hunter added, "Blessed dream, must have mask you saw."

Kanan looked at his blank mask, suddenly getting inspiration.

* * *

Hera cut it, "Ok so how about us left behind, especially those forced to ground?" She leaned into Chopper who finally decided to make himself known by holding his arms crossed and doing his signature annoyed sounds. The Shaman eyed the droid warily as the Chief just laughed.

Kanan said with a smirk, "You know I wouldn't forget you…" But before he could go to sounding… well, less professional, Kanan quickly cleared his throat before standing up straight to say, "So I knew that I would have to change the Ghost-is-crashed plan."

"Wow, how many time is that now?" Zeb asked as Sabine snickered.

"Yeah, ok, ha, but we're still pretending to crash it, after the fight. Why? Because we need the Ghost to cover air attack."

"Finally," Hera sighed, "I thought I was going to have to change the plan myself so that I can get in the air."

"Well, I'm leaving that part of the plan up to you, Captain. You got better flight tactic then me."

The Chief and Depa looked at each other knowingly. The obvious banter was over but they knew they knew Kanan and Hera were still complimenting each other. Hera said, "True. Well, your right about the covering air attack. That's still coming, no matter if we surrender. But it will come once they see the ground forces are null. They'll already have transports on the ground so we got to keep those from taking off to create more chaos. I can shoot them down while the rest—shoot."

"What?" Ezra asked,

"Even if I have Chopper on turrets, just the two of us won't be enough for the TIE's bound to get called in as air support."

"We've got a Kuru and Kuri," Depa said. "You've got Demira on Sar Sar with you. And Bele will fight even if I'm on ground."

"And we can call on more," Demira said. "Like we did when you first came into our planet. When we brought down your ship. We call on the Kuru's all around to help us do the same to the flat wings—I mean TIE fighters."

Chopper grumbled, Hera going into say, "I know Chop, it's not a fond memory, but they're not bringing us down this time. The TIE fighters are going to get it now. But even so, I can usually command an army that can… well, communication-wise, how will this work?"

Demira giggled, "As the lead of our group, you just tell me what has to be done…"

* * *

"… _. And I'll be sure to relay the commands."_

Demira flew on Sar Sar away from the Tribes village. She had Sar Sar go over the forest towards the hidden clearing where the Ghost would be. As she did, she closed her eyes, having Sar Sar fly parallel for her to sit cross-legged and balanced. She concentrated, extending her feelings, her plea for help throughout the forest. Soon, there were a couple of squawks in the distance. She smiled.

Hera was checking diagnostics from the Ghost's cargo hold when Ezra came running in and said, "She's coming!" Hera went with him back outside the ship, watching as Sar Sar landed just in front of the Ghost. She lowered her head, revealing her held on the base of the kuru's neck as she sat up with a smirk. Suddenly, dozens and dozens of Kuru's came from the sky, landing in the clearing around Ghost or landing in the thick branches of trees. Ezra's mouth dropped open as Hera said to herself, "Ok, you can do it. It's just like pilots in x-wings…" she saw two wild kuru's nip each other in the neck out of play before squawking annoyed at each other. "Kind of."

* * *

Kanan added, "And since we've got groups on the ground, we'll need groups in the air. Ezra will help Demira and Hera."

"You mean…" Ezra began to say excitedly.

Demira cheered as Sabine and Hera winced. Zeb said, "Ahh…. Karabast…."

* * *

Ezra looked around at all the Kuru's surrounding the Ghost. "So… which one's mine?"

Demira jumped off Sar Sar and went up with her staff in hand. She said, "That is up to you."

"Aw sweat I can pick my own!" He started going up to one that was lying down resting. Before he could even get five feet from it, it growled towards him. Immediately Ezra turned around, "Nope, not that one."

Demira laughed and said, "It is also up to your Kuru to choose you."

"Great…." Ezra said sarcastically.

* * *

"Ahsoka," Kanan addressed the togruta. "I'll have you and Rex join us on the ground but I'm going to need you two to continue with our previous plan which was to fake the Ghost's crash. Once we reach the height of the battle, you and Rex go back to your ship. Gather the old ship parts that look like they belong in the Ghost. By then, Hera is going to—"

"Let the ship get hit," Hera cut in sounding unamused

Kanan added sarcastically, "Make it look good but not too good to the point the ship doesn't actually explode, and with you in it."

Demira piped up, not getting the joke, "I'll make sure she's ok." Hera and Demira nodded towards each other.

Kanan said, "Once the ship 'crashes', that's when we retreat. The Empire will think we've failed, but they'll be in low numbers by then to the point all they want to do is make sure they got the job they came her for done. Ending us."

"And that's when the rescue team and I take off…." Ahsoka finished

"And back to the same old plan. The Empire thinks we're all on that ship when they think the Ghost is done for, and they'll leave this system forever."

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **A.N: And plan is done, I swear, no more changing it. After all, everyone seems to busy to be finding their talents among the Tribe to be changing up the plan. Next, we get more on how Ezra get's his own Kuru as well as more Nomads. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	39. Ch 38: Consultation

**A.N: Hope everyone is having a good Holiday season! And hope you New Year is going to be just as good.**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

* * *

 **Chapter 38: Consultation**

* * *

The evening of preparation turned to night. The light of the three moons gave way to the dark forest around the the Ghost. Demira watched from the ramp of the cargo hold as Ezra went from one wild Kuru after another, trying to see which one "fit" him best. But as he went to each one, either they stayed resting or they greeted him with a snarl. As he went up to one, he reached a hand out to try and pet it on its wing, the Kuru retreated it back and lunged it's head forward with jaws wide open.

Before it could take a bite out of the now cowering boy, Sar Sar came from the side of the attacking creature and snapped at it to get it to stop. The wild Kuru stepped back, gave a squawk of annoyance, and marched away. Ezra took a deep breath, hunched over in almost exhaustion and said, "Thanks, Sar Sar."

The creature gave a squawk of acknowledgement, then Demira walked over to them as Ezra gave the creature scratch under the chin. When Ezra saw her come, he said to Demira, "I tried finding one that would want me but it seems like none of them want me."

"Well, this is a… what do you say…" Demira faltered as Sar Sar moved her head to nuzzle against the girl's neck. Demira reached out to grab it as she said, "This is a last minute thing."

"I guess," Ezra scratched the back of his neck, "But it seemed so easy the Purgils."

"Purgils?" Demira asked as she scratched Sar Sar under the chin.

"Huge purple, yellow creatures hat can fly and are just a bit bigger then the Ghost," He motioned to the ship behind him. "They're not fat but they're long, and with tentacles trailing behind them."

Demira gazed up at the sky, trying to imagine such creatures and said, "It sounds amazing. And you connected with them."

"And I flew on them…." Ezra flattered.

Seeing his sadness, Demira said, "Perhaps, Kuru are not the creatures you must connect with. Perhaps there is something else out there you are meant to connect with. For a purpose."

Ezra raised an eyebrow as he got where Demira was going with it, "Yeah, yeah, I see. With the Purgil, they wanted me to connect because they wanted me to know why they were suffering. And I wanted to help because I needed there help. We helped each other. There was purpose."

Demira smiled, "See, purpose. Also, some creatures connect to certain beings."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, Depa has a hard time connecting with most creatures that are mostly brutish and stubborn, that's why Bele is hers, because his species is calm like her. Sar Sar's kind is wild and hard to tame."

"No offense, but wild and untamed does sound like you." Demira giggled and nodded her head in acknowledgment. "I can see why it was easy to connect with Kuru's."

"Well, I can connect with Kuru's easier, but Sar Sar is special."

"Why?"

Demira frowned. She had Sar Sar touch foreheads as she closed her eyes. At first it seemed she didn't want to talk about it, and Ezra was going to not pester farther, but the girl opened her eyes again. She said softly, "When I found Sar Sar, a fledgling, abandoned by her family, I knew how she felt."

Ezra immediately understood. "Oh, so it's more of an understanding."

"It's always an understanding. That's the root of force connection, though yes, there is more understanding between Sar Sar and I."

Ezra tried to keep a smile to show he understood, but it was hard to. He suddenly thought about his Parents. Demira… she never knew her parents, and will probably never understand why they left her. Perhaps Ezra was more lucky then he realized. He may have lost his parents but he at least knew them and knew that they loved him. Ezra frowned. He knew he had a new family but… but really missed his parents. He closed his eyes, trying to keep a couple of tears at bay.

"Ezra…" Demira said, looking away from Sar Sar with concern.

Ezra sniffled, raising his head and standing straight as he wiped a hand over his eyes as he said, "Oh, I just—just had something in my eye—"

"Look behind… slow…." She said cautiously.

Ezra blinked, but then felt hot breath behind him. He slowly turned his head and looked up. A Kuru, slightly bigger then Sar Sar, stood tall behind him. Like all of them, it had all the features, blue skin, stripes, everything, but there was slight difference. There were extra marking going over its nose and another two stipes, one on each cheek. One head tail was bitten off, maybe from a fight. When it craned it's neck down, Ezra could see it's green reptile like eyes. It stared into his.

Demira's eyes widened at what she saw. The Kuru's eyes along with Ezra's had a slight… sparkle to it, like a quick flash of blue and white light. Demira wanted to ask, but something told her that all she needed to know was that Ezra was… different. Like Ahsoka, he had something special with the creatures here. Ezra blinked and so did the creature. The boy turned his body to fully face the newcomer, and in return, the creature bowed its head. Ezra reached out and placed a hand on the creature's forehead. No one retreated, no one snarled, no one parted. Ezra and the Kuru understood each other. "I know… me too…" he said. The creature nuzzled their head against Ezra who gave a small laugh out of surprise. Demira asked, "If I may ask… what you were thinking."

Ezra pursed his lips. Of course she knew what he felt was what he was thinking before. After all, she is the one who said understanding was the special connection. Also, he knew her story, it was only fair she knew his. "My parents were taken by the Empire when I was seven. I was alone for a long time until Kanan and the others found me only two years ago. It's not that I feel alone still, it's just, I… just found out a while ago that my parents were… they…" He couldn't bring himself to say it.

Demira came over and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I won't ask more." She then went over to pat the wild Kuru on the neck. "Perhaps he lost his family, or has been alone for a long time. But know you are not alone in what you think."

"Yeah…." Ezra said as he smiled at the creature. "Hey…. how to you say…. Bond… in your language."

"Well, the simple term is dahm… but there is a special term among those blessed with the All Mother's gift. We call the Force Bond…. Dhamana."

"Hmmm, how about Dhaman?" He said to the creature.

The Kuru gave a soft gurgle. Demira said, "I think he likes it. Same with me. Dhaman is a special name." As Ezra was getting along with Dhaman, Demira felt a tug and looked up into the tree line, to the horizon. Not to the Mountains, but the other direction, the direction to where the Nomads would be. She thought about what Ezra said, and what she had said. Understanding… if it is true… that to be able to connect, to fight, to have balanced control of the Force…. One must understand…

Hera had watched the entire scene from the window of the cockpit. Though she couldn't hear what they were saying from her spot behind the cockpit window, she still was able to read the body language loud and clear. She was happy to see that Demira was able to not only help Ezra in connecting with on of the creatures, but to do so by talking about his parents. Hera knew, she was good that way.

She saw Demira suddenly look longingly into the distance. Hera remembered then that the conversation could not have been solely about Ezra. She saw how the young girl acted. Her unknown family was still on her mind. Hera rested back on the pilot chair while looking in the direction Demira was. Yes, where one came from truly didn't someone who they were at the moment. But, to know where you come from is to find out why you are at the moment you stand. Hera chuffed. Even if she herself hated it, Hera's past is what makes her the ace pilot of the Rebellion she is today. She knew why Demira wanted to know.

Hera suddenly saw the two go next to their Kuru's. Demira got on the back of Sar Sar easily as Ezra struggled to get in and even struggled to sit on the base of the neck of his. Hera quickly went out.

Demira held out her spear in hand held with the other hand the base of Sar Sar's neck to watch Ezra finally get comfortable sitting on Dhaman. "It's not so bad…." Ezra said a bit nervous as he held on to the base of Dhaman's neck with both hands.

Demira smiled and said, "During battle, you need one arm to hold your weapon."

Ezra looked down at his hands and said, "Oh boy."

"No worries. You did learn the basics of flight yesterday when we went searching for the Inquisitors."

"That was like one lesson?

"It will have to do. From here until tomorrow I only have time to teach you how to fight while in flight. I can teach you on the way back. We should get it down before we make it to the Village."

"Only the amount it time it takes to get to the village? But that's so short. We'll practice more when we get there right? I mean, we've got all night."

Demira frowned. She suggested they should go back to the Tribe now that Ezra found Dhaman, but she wanted to go back for a more personal reason. She knew Ezra would understand but maybe he was right. She had to teach him what she knew to prepare for tomorrow's battle with what time they had left. But… she just needed to know. From the Corner of her eye she saw movement, so Demira looked up to see Hera walk out of the Ghost and into the clearing. As she came up to them, the Twi'Lek said, "So, you got your own Kuru after all."

Ezra smiled, "Yep! Meet Dhaman."

The said creature lowered his head to get a closer look at Hera. The pilot stopped just a few feet ahead for safety to say, "Charmed," before trying to go around him to Demira. Dhaman gave a chuff and raised his head to look away, keeping a sort of pride. Hera came to Sar Sar's side to look up at Demira. She said, "So, are you doing it?" Then she looked up into the distance, the same direction Demira was looking at earlier.

Demira's eyes widened that Hera managed to figure out what she had been thinking earlier. The young Jedi hunched over and shrugged. "I don't know if I should…."

Hera motioned fro Demira to lean down. When the young girl did, Hera went on her tiptoes to whisper something in the young girl's ear. "It's now or never. Do it, and don't be afraid."

Demira was astonished. Hera was the one who was more focused on a mission then anyone else. To have her say it was ok to step aside for a while, it meant a lot. Then Hera added loudly, "But hurry. We've got to prepare more and then rest up for tomorrow."

As Hera went back to the Ghost, Ezra turned to Demira and asked, "What was that about?"

Demira rolled her shoulders to get the muscles loose and then said, "I'll tell you when we get there. First we must seal the connection between you and Dhaman. Concentrate," Demira instructed. Ezra nodded and closed his eyes as he focused. "Feel not only his emotions but the physical components. Breath, heartbeat, muscle movement." Ezra concentrated, opening up to the Force more. He felt less human and more… animal. His senses heightened, his body strong. "Now, you remember how you flew with Sar Sar and I?"

Ezra opened his eyes and said in confidence, "Ok, Dhaman, let's fly." The creature spread its wings and sprung into the air.

* * *

Depa mediated on the wide rock pillar where her hut stood. She faced the river, giving her a view of the Village on both sides as she opened her eyes. She had been thinking of the battle tomorrow, mentally preparing. She knew she was ready, her head at least. It had been a while though since she last commanded and army. She would probably be a bit out practice. She assured herself that she had friends alongside her to help.

The one she worried for though, was Demira. Was Demira really ready for war?

She suddenly heard playful, childlike screaming down bellow. Depa looked down, seeing Chopper rolling away from a couple of children. He stopped and turned to them, his head spinning around as children of all ages surrounded him. Some came to stand over him and tap at his antennae. Others crawled on the ground to get a better and closer look at his legs. It made Depa smile to see them so happy and curious in seeing Chopper. And with everything that was going on, it seemed so surreal to see such light heartedness.

Chopper let his arms come out from the side of his head and he waved them around. Some children giggled and laughed, and some copied him. A little girl in a loincloth came up from behind to try and climb on top of the droid. Since she was so small, she struggled. Suddenly, someone from behind her picked her up from below her arms. Chopper turned himself around to see a painted mask. Slightly spooked he rolled back. But the children stepped forward, gawking at the person. Recognizing the green clothing under the wooden armor around them, Chopper garbled a couple of words to the masked man.

"The mask is not ridiculous…" Kanan said sounding muffled. "Besides, I just saved you from giving a piggy back ride." Chopper made more noises that shocked Kanan. "You mean…. Your ok with that? Ok…" He set the girl on top of Chopper. She gave a squeal of joy as she sat balanced on Choppers head. The droid then took the lead with the children following behind as he rolled off.

Depa watched as Kanan came up the ramp to her hut, pulling off his mask as he did. He said, "I never thought Chopper would find affection with anyone but Hera."

Depa answered, "Even in the worst of times, the best qualities come out of all of us so that we may rise above." She held out her hand to Kanan as he came up to sit next to her. He handed her the mask and she took in the details. He carved it so the eye holes were carved as perfect circles, like eyes wide open. Green stripes were painted along the edges. Hand prints in yellow were printed one on each cheek. "Hmm, quite the mask maker."

"Eh, it's not exactly like my dream, and after all…. Sabine's the real artist."

"Hmm." They watched as Chopper played with the children. She said, "I remember when Demira was young like that… enjoying the innocence she had."

Kanan looked at her sincerely, "You wanted to keep that for a long time after too, huh?"

Looking down, Depa said, "I thought that being on this planet, away from the Empire, after the age of the Jedi Council… she would retain some of it."

"I believe she has. She can be still oblivious to some things."

"But war is not one of them anymore."

Kanan said, "But you still prepared her for it. Even when she assumed too much or didn't listen to you, in the end she learned. With the Nomads and the Inquisitors." He noticed Depa hadn't looked up yet. "That's… that's not what you meant."

"Though I am humbled that my training her has prepared her after a few ups and downs… it's… it's not what bothers me." Kanan raised an eyebrow. "Having grown up in the Temple, having trained you, I knew that Innocence could not last forever. But I got so used to it here, and becoming like a mother to Demira and learning from the other mothers around here… I just."

"You want what all mothers want for their kids. To protect them. That's normal."

"But with War imminent, I know it can't happen anymore. But I struggle."

Kanan wanted to answer her, but one, he didn't know how, and second, he was interrupted by a loud squawk. They looked up and saw two Kuru's fly from the space in the canopy and into the village. Kanan and Depa stood up and went down the ramp to where some warriors gathered around a space among some huts. That's where one Kuru, Sar Sar, landed with Demira getting off her skillfully. She called out to Ezra who sat on the base of the neck of the other one flying in. "That's it! Now ease into the—"

The incoming Kuru came landing face forward instead of feet first. Everyone parted away to give room to the crashing Padawan and his creature. Dust flew everywhere on impact, making everyone moved a way or hold their hands up. When Depa and Kanan got there, the crowed had gathered once again around the two clumsy flyers. Ezra sat up groggily as did the Kuru he managed to stay on. Shaking themselves off dirt, Ezra said, "Well, any landing you can walk away from, right?"

Sar Sar shook her head as Demira said, "Um, well… I guess you can say that… but your fighting in flight technique is better."

Depa came up Demira as Kanan stepped in and said, "Well, I can see you connected with someone." He motioned to the Kuru Ezra was on.

The boy puffed out his chest and said, "Yeah, its was all I the bag."

"I'll say," came Zeb as he walked into the crowed with the younger warriors behind him. He said, "I bet what was left out of the bag was your graceful landing."

The Kuru Ezra was one looked back at Zeb and growled, making the Lasat jump back a bit. Ezra patted the creature on the side of the neck and said, "Dhaman doesn't like your tone, Zeb. Better watch out with him around."

Depa looked to Demira and said, "How did it really go?"

"Swell. Ezra can fly with a lightsaber and not cut himself or Dhaman by accident. But basics can still use some work."

"It will have to do…." Depa faltered seeing the forced smile on her Padawan's face. "What's wrong."

At first, Demira hesitated one what she was going to say. But she closed her eyes, recalling some wise words from a certain pilot before saying in confidence, "Depa, we must go to the Nomads."

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 **A.N: So, how is Demira going to explain this one. Anyway, hinting on Ezra's future in connecting with the wolves, meanwhile we look back to when he was a sad baby awww my poor child! It brings out more about Demira and then some bit about Hera. Then we go to Depa who is struggling with Kanan by her side. Thankfully Chopper can give a lit upbeat tone to this chapter. Anyway next we get to see how they're going to talk to the Nomads. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	40. Ch 39: No Matter What

**A.N: This time it was now short timing, it was doc manager keeping me from uploading in time to update yesterday. But I'm her with the chapter just a day late. BTW who wants that S4 mid-season trailer? (raises hands way up in the air). BTW don't forget to review in the end! Thanks my lovelies!**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

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 **Chapter 39: No Matter What**

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"You want to ask the Nomads for help?" the Shaman repeated what Demira just told him, flabbergasted.

They were by the river bank, Sar Sar and the other creatures surrounding the group of Jedi behind Demira. Kanan, Ezra, and Depa watched intently. The girl said, "We must go and check to see how Ahsoka and her team are doing with their side of the plan. It is only reasonable while we go check we can also go get more help."

The Shaman looked to the Chief who was on his right. Though the leader would have been just as surprised as the Shaman, there was still a bit of conflict after their last encounter with the traveling people. Seeing he wasn't getting a response, the Shaman said to Demira, "I know that you all have said the Nomads may not be as merciless, but that was one encounter. Do you not think that kindness could have been just for…. For show?"

Depa came up behind Demira and said to the Shaman, "If they were as un-compassionate as the stories have told, they would never have given mercy to the ones they captured."

"I see your point…. Again…." The Shaman said. "All right, go, and be safe."

Demira bowed with a quick, "Thank you," and ran back to Sar Sar. Ezra followed, excited as he went up to Dhaman. As they climbed on their Kuru's, The Chief came up to Depa and Kanan to ask, "I felt her off, so why are you all going to the Nomads settlement."

Depa became a bit nervous at first, but knowing the Chief, it was easier to tell him then the Shaman. "She has been thinking about why she was abandoned that night."

The Chief looked up, wide-eyed at the Demira as she sat upon the base of Sar Sar's neck. She looked to Ezra who slightly struggled to stay balanced but he managed. The Chief suddenly looked worried and said, "What does she hope to find?"

"Answers," Depa told him simply.

"Depa, you know what I mean. What if she finds what she wasn't looking for? What if it hurts her in more ways then one?"

Kanan stepped forward and said, "Much like Demira, I never knew my parents. I don't know if they just left me or it hurt them to leave me to the Order…. I'll never know." Depa frowned, putting a hand on her Padawan's shoulder. Kanan smiled, thankful for the gesture which helped him continue. "Ezra was just as lucky as Demira to know what happened to his parents. He went through life thinking they were dead but when had a chance to find out the truth it wouldn't stop bugging him. Yes, it did hurt him to hear what really happened, but he's found some peace with it because he knows what happened. It's never gonna stop bugging Demira now that she has a chance to find out."

The Chief sighed but knew Kanan was right. "Ok, but let me at least go with you. I found Demira that day lost and alone. I need to know, too."

"Of course." Depa said, "Ride with me."

The creatures took of with their riders and passengers, the Shaman watched with both worry and suspicion. What could come out of this? Zeb who was also watching from afar, was so intent on what he was watching, he didn't notice Sabine had come up next to him until she said, "What's going on?"

"Oh, hey Sabine," Zeb turned to face her as he said, "Demira suggested that they'd be… what are you wearing?"

* * *

The flight down to the Nomads establishment was smooth, slightly. "Keep your knees bent," Demira instructed as she flew with Sar Sar on Dhaman's right.

"But I thought you said squeeze my legs together on the base of the neck?" Ezra said as he fumbled with staying on midflight.

Kanan behind him was stiff as stone trying to keep himself from falling as his Padawan tried to steer Dhaman. His eyes were wide, nervousness evident. He whispered, "I'm going to die because of this…"

Demira called out, "Do it at the same time."

"Oh!" Ezra exclaimed, finally getting the idea.

Chief, who was on Bele with Depa steering, said to her, "At least he can fight with his lightsaber midflight, right?"

"Demira confirmed it," Depa assured him. They both looked back in front of them as the

Demira gave an encouraging smile as she saw a bit of progress in Ezra's basic flying. Then she looked on nervously. It was obvious to Ezra she wasn't feeling ready to face what may be the truth about her past. Through the Force, he had Dhaman fly just a little closer to Sar Sar. Then he did something crazy. He jumped. "Ezra!" Kanan hollered as Dhaman became confused. The boy landed on his stomach on Sar Sar's back, making the creature screech and Demira give a small yelp. Kanan tried to calm Dhaman down by patting the creature on the side. Then he said, "Kid! Don't leave me I have no idea—"

"Just, stay there, keep him call. He'll do the rest," Ezra assured him. Then he looked to Demira and said, "Sorry that I didn't warn you."

"It's fine, I'm just curious now," She sat as she turned to face him.

"Good because you need to hear this: You may get the answers you want, or you may not like what's coming. Just be prepared."

"I… I don't know what to expect though. Bad or good?"

Ezra looked at Kanan. He remembered how Kanan couldn't remember his family, so had no clue what to think. He had no hope, but eh had no doubt either. He was kind of lost. Kanan knew what Ezra was looking at him for, so Kanan added. "Demira, I'll never know what happened with my family, but, no matter what it is I know that in the end that Ezra and the rest of the crew are my family."

"Here Here," Ezra agreed. He looked back at Demira, "You've got Depa, the Chief, and the Tribe, no matter what the outcome is." Then Ezra jumped back on to Dhaman, taking the 'reins'.

Demira felt a little better, keeping the nerves somewhat at bay. When they got to the edge of the plains where the Nomads settled, the riders had the creatures land just behind the forest as to not spook the settlers. When they got on the ground, the Jedi looked out into the dark clearing, seeing the bonfire in the middle of the camp blazing. Demira took a step back away from the edge as she saw people of all shapes and sizes walking around. Some were laughing, some were hushed whispers. Children played. But was it all a trick?

Depa saw her nervousness. So she did just as she had learned, she talked to the girl. Depa put a hand on the girl's shoulder and said, "You know that Pirates took my family away, leaving me with my sister orphaned. As I grew up I always wondered what my parents had felt for me. Master Windu always said I shouldn't dwell on such thoughts. But I always knew that with you and Caleb, how I felt is what I always believed my parents felt for me. Love." She then raised her palm to rest on the young girl's cheek. "I'm here, I'm always here."

Demira smiled, feeling encouragement once again before pulling away and saying to everyone, "Let's go."

The group walked out, their creatures walking slowly behind them and low to the ground to show submission. No threat. As they neared the camp, Nomad soldiers began to assemble in seeing them. Chief Urak followed behind as the soldiers surrounded the visitors. Bele, Sar Sar, and Dhaman gave a growl towards the soldiers but the Jedi riders quickly calmed their creatures down. Chief stepped forward in front of the group, presenting himself as the main spokesperson. Urak came forward in front of his soldiers. Chief said something in their language, making Urak call to his soldiers to step away. That's when women and children came around to watch the scene. They all had torches in their hands, the flames the only light besides the moons above.

Urak hen looked to Kanan and Ezra. He said, "So, you want to speak to me? Why do you need our help?"

The two looked at Chief who said, "You are the only ones who truly know the details of what's going to happen."

It made sense, so Kanan and Ezra took turns explaining what was going on and then their plan. When they were done, Chief Urak asked, "Where do my people fit into your plan then?"

Kanan and Ezra looked at Demira. The girl had been quiet, shying away by staying close to Sar Sar. She looked to Depa to avoid contact with the other two. But she had the same look the two male Jedi did. If she was going to face her demons, she should start learning to talk to them at least. She gave a deep breath before stepping forward. Urak and Demira looked at each other intently. Even though they were standing in front of each other, closer then they did before. They still could not see each other well. Who could blame them, it was dark now. And for some reason, Demira felt her heart skipped a beat. The Force…. It was telling her to look further. No, no, she had a task. She said, "It was my idea. I suggested that your soldiers fight alongside our soldiers. If your hunters are willing, they can join our hunters as well."

"You want us to help you fight against the Empire." Urak looked back at his people. Some of the soldiers seemed to understand what they were saying, because just like the Tribe, they were whispering translations to their comrades who didn't understand. Their spouses were talking to their soldier companions, harsh whispers and worry in their voice. The soldiers sounded more determined through in their manner. When they looked back at their Chief, it seemed like an unspoken agreement went through because Urak turned to Demira and said, "We will help."

Chief asked Urak, "There will be sacrifices. Will you be ready?"

"The world around us is in danger. We have a duty to the All Mother to protect her life within it."

"Of—of course," the Chief said. He was still getting used to the idea of the Nomads believing in the All Mother as much as the Tribe does.

Ezra whispered to Kanan, "That was surprisingly easy. I thought it was going to be a lot more convincing needed."

"Did you forget the real hard part we came here for?" Kanan asked.

"Oh, yeah."

Urak said, "Where should I send my soldiers and hunters go to get ready for the battle."

Demira said, "At dawn, you can go to the small clearing in the forest where you found the visitors ship."

"All right," For the first time, Urak looked at her in the eyes as well. A twinge of familiarity tugged at his heart. Perhaps it was because she looked more Nomad than Tribe. He told himself the same thing when they first met earlier in the day. Urak saw Demira's eyes were filled with yearning, making him forget what he was thinking and ask, "Is there more you want to ask me?"

Demira bit her lip and her eyes widened. Dry-mouthed, she completely forgot what to say next. Depa came up from behind, putting her arms on her shoulders to encourage her. Demira, feeling again she had support, said as confidently as she could. "I was born Nomad. I was left here in this clearing when I was small, and saved by the Tribe. I want to know… I want to know if my parents are still alive and if they are looking for their daughter. If it was an accident… or if it was purposeful."

The Nomads whispered among each other, asking questions. Chief Urak scratched his chin and said, "We never had anyone lose their child. If they did, we would have come back to search for the child. Are you sure it was our group, there are several Nomadic groups that move around."

"You mean there are more?" Chief asked.

"Of course. Do you really believe there are just one Tribe or one Nomadic group."

"We've never seen anyone else, we just assumed. After all, I see you every time Nomads settle here.

"If you've seen my people and I all the time…. Then it had to have been us…" Urak looked down pensively before looking back at Demira. He just didn't know anyone who lost a child. They would have said something. He looked at Demira, trying to see her through the dark. She was probably right because the familiarity was starting to tug at his heart. He must have known this child when she was Nomad, but to who did she belong to. He didn't remember any family accidentally leaving a child to which they never found in the end. But… he did know a child killed… a child lost…. Because the family was killed… Suddenly Demira's oddly familiar face became all too familiar. He called back to his people to stop whispering, then he motioned to one of the women holding a torch to bring him one. When the nomad handed her Chief the torch his held it close enough to Demira' face that the girl almost felt the heat. Kanan and Ezra became nervous and Chief almost stepped forward worried that she would get burned. Depa though stayed as still as Demira. Something was about to happen.

Urak saw it, in the girl's face… he saw a woman's face. A face lost to him long ago. The Nomad Chief held back a choking sob threatening to come out. No, no, it couldn't be. But he just had to make sure. "Fyape lal nga kra nga ftar uo?"

Demira held up three fingers, "Tres msimu kamili."

"What?" Ezra whispered.

"Three full seasons," Chief answered back, "Three years is how old she was when I found her."

Urak stepped back, looking at Demira as if she was a ghost. Depa said, "You know who she is, don't you?"

Demira looked up at her master then at Urak. "You know me?"

Urak looked at her, then back at his people, then at the people behind Depa and the creatures waiting. The Nomad Chief held his breath as if the thought alone for him was too much for him to process. He then asked with, "Fyape lal lu nga?"

"Di'ez och."

"Eighteen…." Urak mumbled. Then she said, "That's how old my niece is supposed to be."

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 **A.N: Finally! We get something right? Woooo! The anticipation was just killing you, huh? I like to make a build up. You know, and with cliffies, it's just my style. So Shaman iand Chief are still trying to get used to the idea of good Nomads while Demira struggles with the unknown. Thankfully, the Jedi around her have faced this situation in some form or another. But now that Urak and Demira get talking… well… we'll just see how much farther this goes. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	41. Ch 40: Family

**A.N: The synopsis came out for new episodes and I'm not emotionally ready for the "extreme LOSS" ! BTW from here on out now that classes started again, I'll be updating bi weekly!**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 40: Family**

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There was a large crowed of Nomad villagers outside the largest tent in the settlement. Soldiers blocked the entrance to keep the people from going in. The soldiers had a little help with the visiting Kurus and Kuri acting as body guards. Being as no one was used to domesticated creatures, the Nomads stepped back and let the meeting inside the tent progress.

Inside, surrounding fire, the visitors sat cross legged around it. The Nomad Chief sat on one end. Next to him was Demira, followed by Depa, Kanan, Ezra, Chief, and back to Urak. The visitors looked to Urak and Demira, wanting to see similarities between them. But the behavior between the two of them was distracting. Urak's eyes shifted between Demira, and then away from her. Whenever he looked at the girl, his eyes showed recognition and yet confusion. Demira looked at him the same. The others had a feeling as to why.

The minute Urak had mentioned he had a lost niece who would have been the same age as Demira, it clicked in everyone's head. Demira had to be related to Urak. If the not the timing, it was the way he looked at her with familiarity. And this was the only Nomad group to come here, no other. This was Demira's origin and Urak was Demira's uncle. But Urak was having a hard time…. Believing. It made sense to everyone, but he just didn't seemed to want to acknowledge it, and he

Demira also had a bit of hard time believing. If it was possible, then that means she had more then just parents. She had an Uncle. But it was hard to believe because he said the word 'dead'. His niece was dead, Urak sounded so sure of it. Demira was alive. There was no way Demira and Urak's niece were the same. Also, Urak not being able to believe made the girl doubt that she belonged to his family… and that she was wanted here at all. Urak could barely look at Demira more then five seconds. The girl pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging her legs and pulling them in a hug.

Ezra and Kanan looked at Depa, hating to see Demira and Urak trying to find a connection while their confusion pulled them apart. Depa was the one who suggested a private place to talk. They were here, so what was she waiting for? A sign? The Jedi Master watched intently at the two, hoping to catch a glimpse of something.

"It's just not possible," Urak finally said allowed. He looked down at his hands, fiddling with his fingers in worry.

Depa smirked. She had seen Demira fiddle with her fingers, or with her bracelets, whenever she got indecisive. This was Depa's sign. "Chief Urak, if I may ask. What happened to your niece?"

Everyone was a bit surprised at the question. She asked the question as if Demira wasn't Urak's niece, just someone different who did died long ago. Kanan managed to get it though. Depa wasn't going to push the idea on the Nomad Chief unless he fully accepted it. But that would mean going back to a time he didn't seem to want to revisit. He looked at Depa almost in disdain. Who was she to ask such a personal question? But when Urak looked at the Jedi Master's dark brown eyes, he saw concern and sincerity. When he looked down at Demira, she had a pleading look in her eye. They just wanted to know if Demira was who he had lost so long ago.

Urak took a deep breathe and said, "Yes. Yes I can tell you what happened but to understand I will need to tell you everything." He stood up straight and said, "You all know Trader Rack was a Jedi from off world." Everyone nodded, not sure what the Anonymous Jedi had to do with this. "When he first came to this planet, he came to find Force Sensitives who's families were willing to let him take them to train in the temple. But our people wouldn't let him."

"I know what you mean," Chief said. "The Shaman of our Tribe and I were one of the few he tried to take when we were very, very young. But in learning that our people do not separate families he stopped trying."

"And our people do not separate as well. And he respected that. But he didn't leave didn't he?" Urak asked. Chief shook his head. "He always kept coming back. At first he said he would come to learn about why the Force was strong in our world. But being that he too was raised in the temple, Rack was fascinated by the idea of family." Chief nodded in agreement. "He was fascinated to the point that he fell in love." Chief's eyes widened.

Kanan said, "Are you sure he was a Jedi, I mean, the Order wouldn't allow it."

Urak shook his head, not in disagreement, but disappointment. "My older sister, she was the first to learn basic and the first to learn everything Rack taught to our people. Being that she was around the same age as him, my father who was Chief back then assigned my sister to teach Rack our ways. The more they spend time learning, the more they found each other compatible and then… for some time he didn't come. We learned later it was because he didn't want to disobey the teachings of the Order. But then the Clone Wars started. His apprentice was killed on the Battle of Geonisis." Ezra flinched. An apprentice to go down before his master sounded dreadful. He looked at Kanan. His master in turn looked at him. "Feeling that he failed, and feeling that life was too short to live not loving, Rack and my sister married." Depa frowned. How did this Jedi not get caught by the Order? "To mask the truth, he aske the Council that he wanted to be the Order's lead in Archeology. This allowed him to do what he loved which was not only go from planet to planet learning the extent of the Force's history, but to also in secret take the chance to see the people of this planet and of course, my sister."

"Ekim," Depa said. "Ekim Ryelli."

Everyone looked at her confused, but Urak said, "Yes, yes that was his real name. How did you know?"

She said, "I lost my sister on the Battle of Geonosis. Ekim and I grieved our losses together and we became close friends that way." I was happy to see him pursuing his passion as an archeologist. He was one of the few people who made me decide to pursue my passion of teaching, and taking an apprentice." Kanan and Depa looked at each other with a smile. Then Depa added, "I would have congratulated Ekim on being married if he only told me." Kanan and Chief chuckled. Classic Depa. "I can see why he didn't say anything though."

Demira was a little overwhelmed. Yes, the fact that Jedi married Nomad in secret was both exciting and surprising, but she was also busy connecting dots. If Urak's sister married a Jedi, and Urak was possibly Demira's uncle, could her father be a Jedi?

The look of interest in Demira' eyes made Urak nervous as to what he would say next. But he managed by looking at the visitors in front of him. "Soon after, Ekim and my sister had a child. A girl. She was so… so bright, my little niece. But it was obvious she was different. Like her father she was Force sensitive. She made toys hover in the air and her emotions would always matched her fathers. But she was like her mother in looks as well as in how curios she was in learning the world around her." Urak's eyes shifted to Demira, with both longing and denial. He continued slowly, "One day Ekim told us he would be away for a long time. He didn't know how long but a few months went by without him visiting. Then, a few days after my niece turned three, she began to cry. She wasn't a crier unless she sensed something was wrong through her father's emotions. Ekim wasn't there but she wouldn't stop crying for hours. My sister suspected something was wrong…. I didn't listen…"

Everyone began to worry. This was probably the part he dreaded to talk about the most. "I had just become leader of the Nomads after my father's passing. As leader I'm supposed to take care of the well being of my people, all of them. My family included. But I was stubborn I didn't want to leave the settlement all because the season's hadn't change to signal our time to move on. When my niece stopped crying after a long while I took that as a sign to stay. We did… it was… my biggest mistake…" For a moment Urak couldn't continue… All anyone could do was wait in anticipation. Demira turned to face him more, grabbing his attention. His eyes shifted to her, then away again. For some reason, she radiated courage for him to go on. "A visitor came a few days later clad in black armor." He looked to the visitors as they reacted. The hairs on the back of Ezra and Kanan's neck stood on end. That wasn't the first time they heard of someone in black armor. "As soon as his ship landed and the doors opened to reveal him, my niece cried. My sister wasn't Force sensitive but she was smart to trust the instinct of her child. She ran with my niece in her arms. The visitor chased after her with a red glowing blade."

"Sith…" Depa said as her heart sank and she looked to Kanan and Ezra. They knew too. Black armor and red blades. A Force Sensitive child sensing something wrong. It must have been a darksider of a sort. They must have tracked Ekim's previous whereabouts. Depa looked at Demira. The girl was too intent on the story to watch the others react. Besides, she worried for Urak as his voice began to crack during his story. "I told my people to retreat to hidden settlement we had not far away. I went after… the purser to try and save my family. The trail went in… in several directions, from the waterfall to the farthest reaches of this forest. When I finally caught up, it was…. It was… too late." Urak closed his eyes tight. "I saw the ship fly over the sky. I thought the visitor accomplished his work, especially when I found… I found…"

A tear went down his face and tried to wipe it away. He said, broken, "My sister, my Imani. She was there on the ground, a burning hole through her… she was hanging on. I came to her, she was telling me… the outsider came for Ekim's hidden treasure. She told me the outsider didn't win… I didn't understand. She told me she loved me…and then Imani was gone…" Urak hunched over again. He kept back the sob, but everyone could see he was still hurting. They didn't know what to do, how to comfort him without it being… sudden. But Demira didn't care. It was time to reach out. She put a hand on his lap, making sure she was doing the right thing. Urak's head shot up, eyes full of tears. Demira gave him a look she never thought she could give a Nomad. Sincerity. She laid her head down on his lap like she did with Depa the first day Kanan and the others came to Panama. The act alone shocked him so much, he broke down. Demira sat up to watch the man sob as his body shook almost violently. Demira quickly wrapped her arms around the man. This was so surreal. Why was she doing this? Was it because she hoped he was her Uncle, that she had some sort of family, or just because she cared? Urak was also confused. Why would this child thought to be abandoned by her own kind do this to the leader. To hug them. If not that, and if she was his…. his… then how could she care for someone who didn't trust the instincts of… to her… his… his own niece.…. But the fact that she didn't let go made him return the hug. He felt happy. Was it from her? Could she be really his…

Urak said, "I couldn't find you, I assumed you were taken then killed… by that dark sider. I didn't understand what Imani said about Ekim's hidden treasure, that the hunter didn't win. Imani meant to tell me you survived. She hid you somewhere and she knew everything would be ok. Even if she herself was killed. I lost hope. Oe ke kame," He started to ramble on.

He stopped when Demira said, "Oe ngat kame." Urak's eyes widened, then they closed tight as he finally hugged her back. He didn't sob, not wanting to ruin it all, but he let the tears fall.

Demira smiled. And it made sense. All of it. A mother hid her daughter in the last place a hunter would find their prey; at the same place where the chase began. The same place Demira was found by Chief. It did hurt to find out that was because a dark sider found out Ekim had a family, with a force sensitive daughter, and wanted to exploit it. It hurt that she didn't get what she wanted; living parents. But it was entirely painful. There was something she was happy to hear. Her mother protected her. That last bit though was enough for her. Demira cried, but kept a smile. It means Demira had a family, that cared! A mother willing to sacrifice her life for her. a father who did what he could, hiding behind the Order to spend time with his family. An Uncle who regrets not believing Demira lived. They had feelings, they loved, they hurt like her. Demira cared for her family, for Urak but not because she was their family but because she loved too. She was like them, she was a Nomad. Chief Urak was her Uncle.

This went on for only a few minutes, but being that Urak was the Chief, he knew hot to control his emotions again quickly. He looked up at the others in the tent as Demira let go to turn and face them. They all looked at the scene in joy. They saw a family reunite and come to terms with what they denied for so long, "I'm sorry, I don't usually…"

"It's all right, my friend," Chief said. "I may not have lost so much, but I have lost control of my feelings before."

Depa smirked, "Are you talking about when—"

"No, no, no…" Chief lifted a pointed a finger and waved it in her direction. "That is not pertinent to mention in this situation."

Depa smirked, shook her head, and looked back at the loving scene again. Demira looked at Urak and Urak looked at her. They smiled. He said, "You look like your mother, but you do have a bit of your father's thin hair." He tossled her hair, making her giggled. Urak then thought, then looked at the Jedi. "Ekim… he would never let his family come to harm. The darksider must have killed him and retraced Ekim's flight path to here. But do you know what happened to him?"

Depa said, "I assumed he survived since he wasn't out in battle."

Kanan answered, "Ahsoka and I were doing some searching, of our own. To see if anyone else was possibly alive. Ekim was on a mission on ancient Sith territory. He was killed y a darksider there the day of Order 66."

Demira frowned. Both her parents were gone. But still, they loved her. Before Urak could feel an grief from such news, Demira reminded him, "I'm here. Kalte ma tsumak."

Urak smiled, letting Demira touch foreheads with him as he said, "Oe ngat kame."

Nomads waiting outside finally had to wait no longer as their cheif walked out of his tent with the visators. Urak had Demira stand in front of him as he called out to his People, "Ok ura mai," he pointed to Demira, "Luma!"

Everyone gasped before suddenly cheering. Demira was taken back by surprise but felt joy in such reaction. As they did, Ezra leaned into Demira and asked, "What did he say?"

"He said I have returned, but as Luma..."

Urak heard her confusion and said, "Luma is the name your parents gave you, named after his fallen padawan."

"Oh, that can't be good," Ezra joked nudging the girls arm.

Demira smirked, lightly punching him in the shoulder and saying to Urak. "Luma, I like it."

Depa and Chief looked at each other worried.

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 **A.N: And now we have Demira's story! WOOOHOO! Ekim is a canon Jedi btw so you can look him up. AND NO, NOT MITICLORIANS, WE IGNORE THAT SHIT HERE. Her being Force Sensitive is just by chance just like any other force kid. BTW. Imani means "faith" is Swahili, just so you know. And we bring back Oe Ngat Kame because we have sealed the bond between Demira and Urak, just like we did with Depa and Demira in my last story. Anyway, more in two weeks time. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	42. Ch 41: Dawn of it All

**A.N: I'M FREAKING OUT ABOUT THAT DAMN NEW REBELS TRAILER YOU GUYS PALPATINE AND CALEB DUME IN THE HOUSE WOOOOOOO!**

 **Guest: Hashtag Accurate AF!**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chapter 41: Dawn of it All**

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Having settled with Urak on a rendezvous point with, Demira, Kanan, Depa, Ezra, and Chief returned. The Tribe was still preparing for battle but when they were done, light was starting to show over the horizon. Everyone got much needed rest then. Once strong light penetrated through the canopy over the settlement, everyone woke up nervous but ready. All the fighters dawned their natural armor. Many had Chapa mark by painting it on their face, whether they be hunters, warriors, or tribesman still training. After some more body and face paint as well as their weapons in hand, it was soon time. Children, elderly, and those who were not warriors or hunters wished their fighters farewell. Many held brave faces but many more cried, worried that it would be the last time they saw their loved ones.

Chopper saw some children sitting alone in despair as they watched their mother's or fathers leave on canoes heading to the waterfall. He came up to the lonely ones, patting them on the shoulder or just being by the children's side.

The Ghost crew had been watching their droid going from one person to the next. "Wow," Zeb said, "Wait 'till we tell Hera that Chopper has been busy being everyone's cuddle buddy."

"This is Chopper we're talking about," Kanan said, "He's unpredictable."

"When it comes battle yeah but…" Zeb faltered.

Ezra added, "But he's never been the snuggly type. Though I could use this for some sort of blackmail."

"Ezra…." Sabine said.

"Hey don't Ezra me," Ezra whined. He motioned his hand up and down. "You're the one who's covered in mud."

Sabine pulled off her helmet. looked down at herself. Her armor was still there, but the designs were now made out of a thin layer of mud with different shades of green. "The Tribe uses mud mixed with natural dyes to hide in the shadows when hunting. So that their target doesn't see them. Stealth. It's a thing you should learn."

"Hope it's not a thing now," Zeb scuffed.

Kanan smirked, "All right you two stop. Let Sabine embrace the Tribe mentality."

"I wish…" Sabine muttered.

"What do you mean you wish, you are."

"Not like that, I mean yes like that but—look what I mean to say is look around." She motioned to the last of the warriors leaving by canoe to the waterfall. "only trouble they had was a scuffle here and there with the Nomads, that's it These people wanted nothing more then to never deal with something as big as the Empire. They were a peaceful settlement now look."

"Well," Ezra said, "You at least got to see what peace was like. Now you know what we have to defend.

Sabine nodded, thankful for Ezra's words for once. Finally getting Chopper with them, the crew hopped onto a canoe with M'Stari being their paddler. Ezra though went on Dhaman. "I'll see you guys on the other side," he teased.

Before the crew could even react, they heard a squawk. Looking farther down the bank, they saw Depa climbing up onto Bele. She sat on the base of her creature's neck before looking over to the others. "Are you all ready?"

"Yes," Kanan assured.

"Where's Demira?" Ezra asked.

Depa frowned but she tried to sound positive as she said, "She… she went ahead to meet with Hera. She wanted to be there when Chief Urak brought his warriors." Suddenly, Kerchec came up beside Bele. Depa reached down and helped him up to sit behind her. He also had a wary look on his face. The crew shifted nervously in place. Zeb, Sabine, Chopper were told what happened at the Nomad settlement, and they were happy Demira managed to find out not only where she came from but how she came about out of love and as well still had living family. But Kanan had secretly informed them of the concerns behind it. They understood and were worried themselves.

Shaman soon came around and said to Chief, "I know it is against my code, but I must insist that I should be present."

Chief said, "The code is so that if I do not come back, you will be here to lead until you find a successor of a Chief for me. Besides, someone must be here to watch the rest of our Tribe."

The Shaman nodded. He and the Chief locked eyes. They had been through so much, more then anyone around them had seen. Even if they did often argued, in the end, they were both leaders with the same goal to protect. The idea of one without the other seemed out of place. Depa knew this, "Do not worry, Bruton, I will make sure Kerchec is on his toes." The Chief smirked at her.

The Shaman nodded before addressing everyone else. "You have all shown me so much of how the outside world really is. For that I send you off with the spirit of the All Mother in each and every one of you stronger now then ever."

"I hate to be rude but," Zeb cut in, "Some actually do have it." He pointed to Kanan behind him.

Shaman said, "The All Mother flows through all. Yes, some stronger then most. But those who truly fight for her, in turn she flows through them. Go no."

Bele and Dhaman took off into the air and out through the canopy as M'Stari steered the canoe down the river to the cave leading to the waterfall.

Once they reached the bank, they saw warriors mounting their Farasi and heading out to the forest with the hunters following behind on foot. M'Stari and the other guards who had paddled their warriors out started to head back. But before they did, in his broken basic M'Stari said, "We be here… for back in."

The crew understood, seeing he and the Guards would be the next line of defense if things went wrong. Zeb acknowledge him by saying, "Protect your people, fellow Guardsmen."

M'Stari repeated, "Fellow Guardsmen."

When the Tribe reached the clearing where the Ghost was. Everyone stopped. The Nomads had already gotten to the clearing. They were all informed about the Nomad's assistance, yet they were still wary about them. But they soon saw Chief Urak and their own Chief with Demira talking to them. Hera, Ezra, and Depa stood by relaxed with Bele and Dhaman standing behind them. Noticing the Tribe's arrival and confusion, she went up to her people to encourage them to mingle. Soon, the Tribe and Nomads gathered in mixed groups as they not only began to talk to one another but found commonality.

The crew arrived to watch the spectacle. Ezra went up to them and said, "I bet they never thought the day would come they'd all be friends."

"Demira really did it," Hera said as she came to join them. "Depa told me the whole thing. I'm so happy for her." She smiled turned to where Demira sat in front of Urak as they went over the plans again. "She found her family and brought the groups together." Hera looked back and saw everyone looking worried. "You know, Depa looked the same way when she told me this, what's up?"

Kanan explained, "We're happy for her, too but…. Demira has found her family, but what will she chose after this is all over."

"She's thinking of going with the Nomads, with her uncle?" Hera asked, now concerned herself.

"She didn't say but look at her, Hera." Ezra motioned to the happy girl talking with Urak. "She's with the family she's always wanted to know about. Knowing their alive could mean she'll want to go with the group she was born into."

"But would she give up where she grew up? Give up getting her mark in the Tribe? And her Jedi Training? Would she just toss it all away."

Kanan said, "That's going to be something she'll struggle with but it may be a possibility. She has to chose. And then there is Depa. She also has a choice to stay with the Tribe or join the Rebellion. And now with Demira having a choice of her own, Depa may chose to follow her Padawan wherever she goes."

"What do you think she'll chose?"

"I'd never thought I'd say this but like Demira, Depa is a wild card." They all looked to the Jedi Master. She was by the Ghost, stroking Bele's neck as she talked with Chief in harsh whispers. They would often look to Demira then back to each other, worried. "She's confused. Anything can happen."

Suddenly from the side of the clearing, Ahsoka and Rex came out of the woods. Chief took this as a sign that their side of the plan was ready. He left Depa to call out to the Tribe and the Nomads. "We are ready, let's move out!"

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 **A.N: Short because I ran out of time. School is much more of a chore this semester then I thought it would be. But I didn't want to be a day late to update again so I did what I could and posted. Ended it on a good note so that we prepare for the next one chapter… the battle chapter…. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	43. Ch 42: A Mark in Battle

**A.N: Hahahahah I'm not ready for Monday Lol nope! Also sorry for not updating last week, it got swamped, but I had time this week to catch up. I also thought it best to spread out my updates so I'm still updating biweekly, but starting from today.**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

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 **Chapter 42: A Mark In Battle**

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Ahsoka informed the group that she had made contact with the Star Destroyer. "We told them we surrender, hopefully in their best interest they take it."

"So we move when they move," Rex said.

Chief had his guards posted on the tree tops, waiting to spot any sign of transports. The wait made Demira disappear for a while before she came back with her face painted. The Tribe Mark symbol of two green horizontal lines on one cheek, and on the other three small yellow swirls. "What does that mean?" Ezra asked.

"The Mark of the Nomad."

"Oh," Ezra responded, slightly somber.

Demira heard him and gave a smile smile, "I know, I know…. You can't where it unless you are officially part of the community." Ezra blinked. Demira had no idea why he had reacted. But before he could answer Demira continued, "If you want I can still draw something. There are symbols that you can use without initiation."

Feeling more curious now, Ezra forgot what he was worried about and said, "Really? Like what?"

Kanan, Hera, Sabine, Zeb, and Chopper gathered at the front of the Ghost. "We all have our roles, let's get to them," Hera said. "I wish everyone luck…" she faltered in seeing Ezra and Demira come up to the group. Everyone turned to look. They all stared at his face, sporting a blue line that crossed bellow from cheek to cheek with a small line bellow it on it each.

Zeb laughed and said, "Getting fancy with paint?"

Demira came up next to Ezra as the boy replied, "Demira wanted to give me war paint and I was on board. I mean who wouldn't? It's supper cool. Besides, I'm not lucky like Sabine. I don't have armor or style to do it myself."

"True that," Sabine said.

Chopper suddenly came rolling up to Demira and saying something. The girl looked at him quizzically before Ezra translated, "He wants some war paint too."

"Oh… hmmm... one moment Demira quickly ran into the tree line and disappeared before coming back a minute latter with a handful of berries in all colors and sizes. She then kneeled down in front Chopper and used a crushed red berry to draw on the top od his head. A red line across with two vertical lines going down on top of it. "A line across meaning you are one track minded, but two lines down show you have a hidden traits that contrast the main one. Where some may see a heartless droid, the close ones you keep see compassion."

"What what was all that?" Sabine asked.

"Symbols have meanings," Ezra explained. "Though I think, Demira, you might want to change that up a bit. I don't think it's accurate. "

Chopper growled and used one metal arm to take a swing and hit Ezra in the leg. Ezra winced and back away. Hera assured Chopper, "I think it's on point."

Zeb asked Ezra, "What does yours mean?"

"The main line across means I can be mature but the two small lines on either side show I can be—"

"Immature?" Zeb mocked.

"Energetic," Ezra hissed.

"Fine, try me then," Zeb said as he came up to Demira. She smiled, taking a purple berry and crushing it so the juice was on her fingers. Zeb leaned over as Demira reached p and drew one line down the middle of his forehead to the bottom of his chin. Two lines branched off from it to go down to other side of his face. "Like a tree, strong you are for not only in brute strength but in endurance of harsh tails in life."

Zeb stood up and said, "Hey, kind of like that."

Sabine stepped forward next. "I don't know where to paint…." Demira said as she looked at all the camouflage armor. "But how about your helmet?" Sabine allowed it, putting on her helmet so that Demira could use some crushed pink berry juice on it. As she drew a diagonal line across with one other small line bellow the left eye, Demira explained. "The small line is your ability to see other concepts and ideas that at first seem unlike anything. The line diagonal meaning you take those ideas and not only expand them but make it creative."

"Yep, that sums it up," Sabine said, proudly, putting her hand on her hips.

Demira looked to Kanan and Hera. The twi'lek women looked a bit skeptical before saying, "All right…" Demira crushed a green very and painted two simple lines, one on each cheek. "This symbol has two meaning. Like a rank, these symbols show your leadership and authority. The other meaning is so that it is drawn like dimples when one smiles. A smile shows that one cares so dear."

As if on cue, Hera gave Demira sweat smile and said, "That's very kind of you."

She let a hand stroke the girl's cheek before she backed up to let Kanan step forward. "All right, what'd you got?" He crossed his arms and gave her a smirk.

Demira smirked back. She crushed a yellow berry, the same color as her swirl symbol. She then said, "Close your eyes." Kanan did and Demira reached up. "It may seem that sometimes you close yourself off…" With two fingers, she drew two lines from the top of his brow to the middle of his cheek, one crossing over each eye. "… but with little help, you yourself can open up and see more."

Kanan opened his eyes and said, "Oe Ngat Kame."

Before Demira could respond, the blast of the sound barrier breaking was heard. The Guards in the dress gave out yowls to the large group bellow. The Imperials have come.

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Several Sentential Class Landing Crafts landed in a clearing surrounded by scorched trees. Agent Kallus walked out of the lead shuttle with several soldiers marching in filled lines behind him. The Inquisitors were next to him on either side, both looking around their surroundings. Nothing but the environment around them. "Why here?" Fifth Brother asked.

Agent Kallus looked at the destroyed remains of the Imperial Tanks scattered around. Claw marks and lightsaber scorches evident on the metal surfaces. Kallus answered, "This is where our troops last fought them. The Jedi Woman had made this a so called border to not cross."

"And you think they will come here to attack us… in the open?" Seventh Sister asked a bit sarcastically.

The Fifth Brother said, "It seems more like an actual surrender then an unsuspecting attack."

"Believe me," Agent Kallus said darkly, "They are never one to surrender." The Stormtroopers had all filed out of their shuttles and AT-ST's were lowered to the ground by passing transports. Even after a half hour of assembly, the Rebels had not come out into the clearing.

"They definitely want us to go into the forest," Seventh Sister concluded. "There may be much life on this planet to block us but I can sense a mass gathering in the forest. So foolishly brave for the inhabitants here."

Fifth Brother said, "I still do not see how if there really are more inhabitants on this planet, there can be enough of them to fight our own."

"They know that, that's why they want to trap us. But we'll expect it," Kallus said as he ordered the armies forward.

The Imperials moved in, trying to keep to a path in the thick forest. But soon the terrain got too thin their walkers were forced to stop. "Clear the way," Kallus ordered. The walkers got ready to fire but Seventh Sister yelled, "Hold!" No one made a moved.

The Fifth Brother came up next to her, "I sense it too but…"

"Where…" She hissed.

Suddenly bushes rustled far left of the armada. Kallus called out to the army, "Be prepared for an attack on all sides. They want to keep us locked in. Don't give them that chance." All the Stormtroopers stood poised and ready with their blasters aimed for the forest around them. They expected to see someone attack, but not something. Out of the left of the group, a giant net came flying out. A Stormtrooper tried to shoot at it but blast went through an opening in the thread. The giant net then fell on three Stormtroopers, the rope tangling them up.

"What the…" Kallus gasped. He then dead panned seeing the three soldiers struggled trying to get the netting off only to make it tighter around them. And the others were just staring at them. "Stop fooling around! Get that net off and find the ones responsible." That's when an answer came …. a laugh echoed throughout the forest.

Everyone looked around for the source, they looked left, right, behind them, in front of them. But they didn't look up. All of a sudden, a long piece of rope that was woven through the end of the net was pulled so that the entire net wrapped around the three Stormtroopers. In an instant, they were pulled up to the tops if the trees, disappearing behind a canopy of leaves. Everyone was looking up now. Big mistake.

More nets came flying out from behind the tree line in all direction. All of them getting at least two or three Stormtroopers before the net tightened around them and pulled them up high. The army numbers began to dwindle. The Inquisitors pulled out their lightsabers and slashed through the nets, but they were coming fast. Kallus ordered to the AT-ST drivers, "Fire into the treeline!"

The walkers only managed to start turning before even bigger nets came put from the branches above. The net was got stuck in the mechanism between the legs and the head of the driver cockpit. When the walkers tried to turn the rope got jammed, creating sparks and breaking wires. "Stop!" It was too late. The rope around them pulled them tight so that the head came loose and the entire thing fell apart with a crash. Seeing that their two biggest weapons were rendered useless, the Stormtroopers themselves fired into the trees around them. But it made no change as more nets took more soldiers up into the canopy. "What is going on?!" Kallus yelled.

* * *

Sabine laughed as she and two fishers and hunters threw rope from behind the trees and into the path where the Stormtroopers were clustered. They watched as the net fell on two soldiers before the rope end tightened the tangle of rope. Sabine gave a wave to the trees above.

Up the Stormtroopers went. The rope pulled the net high, past some branches before it got almost to the top. The Stormtroopers looked around wildly as they spotted sitting crouched on trees several hunters and one Lasat. Zeb cackled and said, "Welcome to the canopy. You'll be staying for a while." One hunter tied their end of the rope to a branch so that the net stayed hanging. The hunters grabbed whatever weapons the Stormtroopers managed to cling on to in the mess. They took the blasters and smashed them into the trunks of the trees so that they shattered into pieces.

Zeb nodded to him, "Good work." He watched as the rest of his group, several hunters, brought more and more Stormtroopers to hanging by the net. The Lasat looked down the army of Stormtroopers. He could tell the ones who were scared stayed a little ways behind firing aimlessly at Sabine group. The ones who braved it pushed forward, the three main leaders being the Inquisitors and Kallus. Zeb growled seeing the agent order his men to march forward even through the chaos. He was dead set on finding the crew. Well if he wanted them, "Come and get it…" Zeb said with a smirk. He got an estimate of the Stormtroopers the had before he jumped down high to grab onto a branch. He swung himself across to the other side of the tree. Holding onto another branch with one hand, the other he used to wave down at Sabine. The girl noticed as she looked up, seeing Zeb signaling her with a sign there were enough Stormtroopers in the trees. Sabine pulled out a couple of detonators before throwing them towards the back of the cultured group of Imperials. The bomb went off, not doing much damage but enough to herd the soldiers forward.

* * *

The Inquisitors took the lead with Kallus just behind them as two more detonators went off behind their army. They moved their troops away from where the nest were being thrown It made Seventh Sister think, "Those aren't meant to destroy. They want to push us back on path."

Fifth Brother stopped in the middle of the dense forest as Kallus stopped to wait for his men to catch up and regroup. In that time the male inquisitor said, "Why force us to go deeper if that is our goal in the first place? Another ambush?"

Kallus, who was angry watching half of what was left of their army recuperate, pulled out his communicator. "Whatever it may be," He hissed to the Inquisitors, "I'm not letting those rebels spell victory today. If they want us to fight here now then fine, we have our own back up-" Before he could speak into the communicator it the response was static. "Argh—"

"Nothing will work here Agent," Came a familiar feminine voice. Jumping out from the tree line ahead, the mysterious Jedi Women came out in her Jedi garments but wore a fur cape, her full on mask and held her hooked staff. The mysterious bare jested man in the long mask came out too with spear. He said, "The deeper you go, the harder back up is too call."

The Inquisitors pulled out their lightsabers, knowing fully well that unlike the Imperials, the stranger was no match for them. But then suddenly, shadows from behind the tree line around them began to move, come closer, and take form. Men and women, brown brown and light skin, all shapes and sizes came out with armor made from their environment around them. Many came riding on hooved creatures that grunted and kicked up dirt. From up front it seemed there were only a few, but behind them gathered several more. Stormtroopers got their blasters ready as Kallus held his hand up ready to make a command. As for the Inquisitors, they were ticked. They didn't sense their presence. To confirm, Kanan with his face painted oddly came up next to the women stranger. He held mask in hand and his lightsaber in the other. He said, "Places like this block even the darkest side of the Force." He put on his mask and held out his lightsaber as it came to life. "Still think this is just an ambush?"

The two groups stared at each other, seeing that Kanan was right. It was now a face off. But the Imperials weren't going to let that stop them. The Inquisitors looked to Kallus. He got the message. "Fire!"

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 **A.N: Long because I didn't update last week. So I didn't come up with the marking, someone came up with them on tumblr but I LOST THE SOURCE! If anyone can recognize the marking description to someone who drew the crew in war paint, please let me know so I can properly credit them! I only came up with the meaning behind them. Anyway, after that the fight actually begins, it's about time to kick butt! So I'll see you all with an update in the next two weeks, if I survive the return of Rebels though. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	44. Ch 43: Between Land and Sky

**A.N: Hold on to your butts but guess what! One of my animation professors is friends with the one and only Dave Filoni! Long story short, I'm going to a screening of the series finale today by the time this gets posted. I would usually rant now about how fricken amazing the last few episdoes have been WHICH THEY HAVE! Spoilerish here but I can't belive that HE is gone and that they made THAT canon in star wars and SHE is back! Also, the voices in that time-space made me shed a tear. But anyway rant over I'm too excited for that screening to say more so…**

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Chspter 43: Between Land and Sky**

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The clash of wood against plastid was heard all around. Blasters fired all around as arrows and spears flew across the battleground. Tribe and Nomad warriors were met with resistance, using their armor or shields made of thick wood to block blaster fire. But to show the Stormtroopers they would go down easily, they would everything they had. Spear managed to knock out and push back the enemy. Arrows met what little-exposed skin there was between armor and with great precision. Clubs broke knees and fists were not afraid to meet their mark. Many warriors even pounced out of nowhere to take down a Stormtrooper, proving even the simplest sneak attack was effective. The Imperials had never faced such adversaries that were primitive to them. But their underestimation was their weakness.

Kerchec and Urak faced Agent Kallus, a death glares hidden behind tall masks as they watched the Imperial. Both chiefs hunched over, trying to act slow and hesitant to attack. Kallus thought he could strike more fear by extending his bo-rifle. As soon as he did that, Kerchec charged with spear in hand. The weapons crashed as Kallus on instinct put it up in defense. He was not expecting that at all. Kerchec hissed, "Neyho" towards Kallus as he pushed his spear into Kallus's bo-rifle. Kallus tried to push against him with his own weight, but probably hidden beneath all the mesh of fur capes and feathers and bone was a well-trained man. Having heard the phrase, and having enough of this mission, Kallus growled back, "What does that even mean!"

"White Demon" Kerchec stepped back as Urak jumped over him to come down with his spear onto on Kallus. Kallus jumped away but attempted to quickly get a hit on Urak before he could recover. Urak managed to step around the attacker as he spun his staff. Once behind, he slammed the side of the spear into the Agent's side. Kallus dropped to his knees but he swiped his weapon towards his opponent's feet. Kerchec and Urak jumped to avoid it it before coming to stand in defense as Kallus got up. All three charged at each other.

Depa clashed lightsabers with the Seventh Sister. The stepped back but immediately Sister stepped forward to spin her lightsaber above Depa's head to force the Jedi to bend down. Depa was ready for the sneak attack that came left. She jumped back to give herself some space, but Sister took the chance to say, "Who are you? You fight like a Jedi but it's nothing but a mask, like the one you wear. Who is the master that taught you?"

Depa didn't let her take the chance. Sister wanted to mess with her, so she would mess with the Sister in turn. Depa charged, making the Sister stand upright and ready. But then Depa changed course. She ducked left, bending down low so that went she came up it was just behind the Inquisitor. Seventh Sister expected a swipe up with lightsaber and got ready to parry. But Depa did a flip, bringing her leg up to kick the lightsaber out of the darksiders hands. As she landed she grabbed it in the other hand so now she had two lightsabers and three blades. Seventh Sister was dumbstruck. The mysterious stranger used several forms in one go. Depa stood up straight and said, "You will never know, no matter how hard you try and figure it out." Depa deactivated both lightsaber and holstered her own so that she had one hand to us the Force and push the Sister into a tree.

The Fifth Brother was pushed to the ground, but he skidded on his feet, kicking up dirt as he did while keeping a hand on the ground to balance him. When he stood tall with lightsaber, he faced Kanan wearing the painted green and yellow mask. "Your new friend may wear a mask for necessity, but it's useless for you, Kanan Jarrus. We know very well who you are."

"Yeah I know," Kanan said coyly. "Doesn't mean I can't have a little fun." He held his lightsaber by so with the other he motioned for the Fifth Brother to strike. Jarrus was being Cocky? The Fifth Brother was slightly confused but didn't dwell. This was a fight after all. The Fifth brother charged attempting to swipe left and right to force Kanan back to give him a kick. That never happened. Kanan instead ducked and jumped between the Inquisitor's legs. As he landed behind his opponent, Kanan rolled back so that when he got on his hands he kicked out with his feet like an animal. Just like Demira would do. Fifth Brother went down on his knees, but he growled loudly and looked back at Kanan who was chuckling. Fifth Brother, got up and attempted to strike right to fake it and make a left, but Kanan gave him no time as he commanded the force to wrap the grass around the fifth Brother's legs. The momentum of the charge and being stopped forcing him to slam into the ground. Kanan said, "Not your best move, huh?" He said, teasingly. Fifth Brother slashed through his bonds before jumping high to come down on Kanan

Ahsoka came down and sliced her dual sabers through some blasters. She then stepped away, letting the warriors come in to force the Stormtroopers into hand to hand combat. She continued onto another group of Imperials but they let out a barrage of blaster fire on her. She had to block each one as quickly as she could as they kept coming. To help her, some warriors attacked some Stormtroopers to the ground. This gave Ahsoka the chance to focus on redirecting the blaster fire to the Stormtroopers. As some went down by the redirection, others used Ahsoka's shield to sneak an attack on her and get to the Stormtroopers with a quick blow of their own. At one point a net was being thrown into the fray of Stormtroopers again, but some were getting destroyed by blaster fire or missing because of the escalating chaos. Ahsoka used the force to ring up three Stormtroopers that tried to escape the net. Then they were pulled up into the trees as she moved on to the next group

Soon the sound of TIE fighters were heard in the distance. Kerchec stopped the fight to look up as Kallus gave a chuckle. "No matter what, the Empire is always ready with backup." The fights all around the clearing slowed down to watch three TIE fighters break through some clouds in the sky. Stormtroopers cheered and moved away, getting ready to push back to let the TIE pilots do their work on the enemy. Then everyone froze hearing another sound. Kallus frowned. Now Kerchec was the one to laugh, "You know, I've never heard the Ghost fly before. It is a beautiful sound."

From inside the Ghost, Hera pushed against the joysticks. A smile was on her face as she said, "Boy did I miss flying you, ol' girl."

She fired two shots onto the first TIE before the other two swerved around her to avoid the shot. Hera pulled down the brake lever and then used the wheel to pivot and turn the Ghost around quickly to face the TIE fighters. One came at her while one went around. Hera focused on getting the one coming from the front. Above from the top guns, Chopper fired some shots to the other TIE that tried to sneak around. At the same time, the twi'lek and the droid made their mark. "Yes!" Hera cheered

Suddenly four more TIE fighters came, forcing Hera to push the Ghost forward and back over the clearing once again. At first, it seemed it was a chase after the Ghost, but then two large blue figures and one larger yellow one flew out of the deep jungled canopy and into the open sky. Demira and Ezra stayed firm on the backs of their Kuru with Bele flying alongside them as they maneuvered around and toward the TIE fighters. Demira grabbed her spear and pointed to the TIE on the right. He pushed forward, avoiding a blast by zigzagging up and down. Then he reached with his large talons to grab one wing of the ship before pulling it off. The TIE fell and crashed into the forest.

Sar Sar maneuvered up as Dhaman went down. Demira felt Sar Sar spin so that Demira was facing upside down with the TIE below her now. On instinct, she used her lightsaber to cut through the top of the TIE. The ship jerked with the contact but then began to descend as the controls began to misfire and the TIE pilot couldn't control his ship. Ezra held on as Dhaman had gone down then looped up. The creature grabbed the TIE fighter by digging his class into the metal and pulling it up. Ezra knew he was going to need a little help so as the got high enough, Ezra held on to the creatures neck then leaned back. Dhaman leaned back with his rider and then moved his body around to swing the TIE fighter around before letting it go. The disoriented TIE fighter couldn't get a grip of his ship until it was too late. The TIE crashed into the fourth and last one, an explosion following. "Wow!" Demira exclaimed seeing what Ezra and Dhaman had done. Ezra smirked. He was getting the hang of this. With Ezra and Demira on Dhaman and Sar Sar long with Hera and Chopper in the Ghost, they took control of the sky.

With that, Chief Urak took the shook of the Imperial's as a distraction and yelled out, "Kusha!"

Chief Kerchec yelled, "Attack!"

On the ground, everyone was back to fighting their opponents again. This time, Depa and Kana were back to back, switching between the seventh sister and fifth brother among each other. They sued the mismatch up to confuse the Inquisitors, making them lose track of who they were fighting. Depa managed to say breathlessly, "Like old time, my Padawan."

"Even better!" He said.

Kerchec and Urak surrounded Kallus. He now had the electric ends of the bo-staff on and ready to use. But his lightning strikes were still no match against the Chiefs. Urak swung high with his staff as Kerchec low, forcing Kallus to jump, duck, and almost lose his balance. This made it easier for both to charge and slam their bodies into Kallus. He was pushed far back enough to skid onto his back then come around to skid on his feet to a stop. In anger Kallus tightened the grip of his bo-rifle before charging.

More TIEs were slowly pouring in from behind the clouds. Ezra and Demira had Sar Sar and Dhaman regroup with Bele and the Ghost as they came around. The flew in a line, aiming for the TIE fighters inbound. Then Demira raised her spear, swing it around, and gave a loud war cry. "AAAAWWWWWHHHHHHAAAAA!"

From below the trees, five blue kuru flew out from their hiding place in the jungle canopy. They came from behind the line and pushed forward towards the TIE fighters. They attacked from all directions. Left and right, up and down, front and behind. Claws and teeth dug into metal and wings and glass were ripped off and shattered. Occasionally, they wouldn't completely destroy the TIE, leaving the damaged ship to be finished off by Hera as she flew the Ghost into the fray and fired some blasts. Chopper would do the same from his spot on the top gunners. As more TIE fighters came, Hera would find herself flying the Ghost alongside some Kuru. Often she would look at them, acknowledging their help and not realizing that they too acknowledge her before the next round of TIE came in.

Holding tight to Sar Sar with her legs, Demira would do some of her own damage with both hands occupied. She grabbed her spear strapped to her back and made dents into the metal surface. She then holstered that and grabbed a boy slung over her chest. Then taking a bow from a pack strapped to Sar Sar's side, Demira loaded her bow, aimed and fired into the glass window of another TIE. Slinging the bow over her chest again, she grabbed her lightsaber form her strap and lit it up again to slice the side of a fighter.

Ezra came up next to her and said, "Hey! Try this!" He held his lightsaber as another TIE came in from above. Focusing in on the force, Ezra had Dhaman pull up to go towards the incoming ship. As it got close enough, Dhaman moved aside to avoid a blast as Ezra swung his lightsaber back. Once the came up next to it, Ezra swung forward slicing one wing clean off. Demira gawked and said, "Many surprise!"

Ezra came back down, flying by Demira as he yelled, "You try!"

Demira nodded then smirked, getting Sar Sar to push forward into the last TIE fighter. She had Sar Sar spin to avoid a blast as Demira held her lightsaber out. The green light cut smoothly between the wing and the cockpit, letting what was left fall to the forest floor.

From below, Sabine continued to work with the hunters to throw nets into the battlefield to catch some Stormtroopers for Zeb and his warriors to bring up. As she and the others made sure to catch as much as they could, she noticed they started to run out of net. She would try to compensate by using her dual blasters to strike out some Stormtroopers. To helped Sabine, they used their bows and arrows to hit the space between the knee guards of the trooper armor and slow them down. From Above, Zeb and his group tried to pull more up, but some had to fall back and stop Stormtroopers that were already caught in nets from trying to escape. It was becoming apparent that there was something not quite right. They should have had enough nets for about more than half the army that came down. The the rest would be taken care of by the ground troops. But it seemed that even more then half wasn't enough. There must be more coming somehow. Zeb climbed up the trees to look at the sky above. He saw Sar Sar, Dhaman, the Ghost, and Kuru flying around and attacking TIEs coming in all directions. But it was so busy up there…. Zeb almost missed the Transports that were in the distance coming through some clouds and landing in the clearing far behind.

"Karabast! More soldiers are coming!" He tried to yell as even more TIE fighters were heard coming from beyond the surface of the planet. They were going to be overwhelmed!

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 **A.N: I planned to make this longer but with the screening I'm going to cut it short. So I'll be updating the week after next week to recover from any trauma the finale gives me. Anyway, so Everyone's being all cool working together a nd fighting off our favorite Imperials, all showing off things they have learned on this journey as they fight. From the land to the sky. Anyway, I gotta go! Wish me luck! I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	45. Ch 44: All Falls Down

**A.N: IMPORTANT! I won't be able to update until April. I'm getting busy. So…. How is everyone? Recovering from the end of Rebels? Same, same…. HOOOOO BOOOIYYYY! What now? Well, there is the fact Kalluszeb is canon, Kanera baby, Sabine and Ahsoka adventures, Purgils, wolves, #whereisEZRA! Damn what a good show! Tell me your thoughts in the comments if you want or PM me.**

 **Callie: Hah! No problem. Thank you!**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

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 **Chapter 44: All Falls Down**

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On the ground, Ahsoka felt something off. Where there suddenly more Stormtroopers? She got distracted when a barrage of blaster fire came her way. Using her dual sabers she blocked them from hurting her and a couple of Tribesmen. But one went by, hitting a soldier on their left side. He cried out and fell. A man and women fighter went to help him but two others on the other side of Ahsoka were hit as well. Ahsoka stepped forward to try and blocked the shots early and give room for the soldiers around her to retreat or recover. But there wasn't enough time. She saw twenty Stormtroopers burst through the forest and come charging in.

Sabine noticed it too. She and her hunters were desperately throwing nets and trying o reuses as much as they could. But they were slowly running out and more so with the number of troopers increasing. Once she tried to shoot at the troopers to lessen the amount but they shot back. In the end, it was Sabine's dual blasters and the hunter's arrows that went up against the horde of troopers coming in. Some Stormtroopers noticed the hunters with Zeb above them so they shot into the trees. Zeb yelled, "Move around! Get clear!" All the hunters would hop from branch to branch to avoid the attack. Zeb pulled out his bo-rifle to shoot down at the Troopers below to slow their attack on the canopy. It still wasn't enough as some hunters were shot out of the trees and fell to their deaths. Seeing his fallen followers made Zeb see for a slight second the battle of Lasan all over again. His people one by one taken out. Zeb yelled and continued to shoot down at the troopers below.

Demira heard Zeb's war cry, looking down to see the amount of Stormtroopers overwhelming them all of a sudden. Flying Sar Sar by Dhaman, she yelled to Ezra, "Look down!" Ezra did, noticing the problem before looking around and seeing transports going to the clearing where the Imperials landed earlier. He hissed, "Harte, we should have started phase three before. It's happening too fast. He flew by the Ghost, signaling to Hera to look at what Demira saw. When she did, she looked up and saw he signaled to himself and the transports coming in. Hera nodded, it was risky but she trusted to the boy. Demira signaled Belle to go help Hera. Belle and Hera took on the TIE fighters that were already flying around. Ezra called to Demira, "Follow me! Let's take down the transports." The two Padawan flew their kuru's toward the transports but they were suddenly being shot at by the TIE fighters that had escorted the transports. Demira and Ezra were forced to pull Sar Sar and Dhaman back and fight the TIE fighters, leaving the transports to bring down more troopers

Kallus swing his bo-rifle around, the electrical end barley missing Kerchec as he bent down. Kallus kept coming and he spun 360 to swipe down to Kerchec feet. The man jumped up and then came down to bring his spear onto Kallus's head. The Agent held up his rifle so the hook end of the electric end caught the spear. Urak came from behind Kallus but the other end of his rifle was already up to do the same again catching Urak's staff. With all his might Kallus turned so that his rifle did and flung the spear and staff out of the Chiefs' hands. Their shock made it easy for Kallus to kick a foot out to hit Kerchec in the stomach then punch out and hit Urak in the face. Both fell hard.

Depa fell on her back but rolled to the side as Seventh Sister jumped high to come down with her lightsaber. As the dark sider pulled it up and swung to the side where Depa was getting up, the Jedi held up her saber to block it. Jumping over them, Kanan came down on the Fifth Brother. The big man skillfully sidestepped and grabbed Kanan's lightsaber. The momentum of the Jedi coming down was easy enough for the dark sider to swing him around and into a tree. Kanan lost his grip on the lightsaber but was able to comprehend enough to twist midair and plant his feet into the trunk. Just like Demira did in training, he sprung off, spun in the air again and kicked out with his foot. He managed to get a kick into Fifth Brother's jaw before landing in a crouch. Fifth Brother seethed in pain but his anger made him lift his hand up and use the Force on Kanan. The Jedi felt himself suddenly be lifted off the ground and then thrown back into someone. The collision then turned into a tumble as they rolled on the ground before stopping on their back. Kanan sat up, seeing he had been thrown into Depa. As they tried to recover, two shadows loomed over them and got bigger. On instinct, they jumped high and over the Inquisitors as the attackers came down to where they were before.

As Depa and Kanan turned to face them, they noticed the Stormtroopers gaining the advantage on the battlefield. To give them time, Depa had roots from nearby trees grab the Inquisitors by the feet and pull them into the forest and hold them down for a while. The women looked around, seeing both Nomad and Tribe being shot down or killed. They knew this would happen but it was happening too fast. They hadn't even sent Ahsoka yet. She looked to Kanan. "Phase three."

Kanan hesitated. They were supposed to start that when enough Stormtroopers had been pulled out of the fight into the trees. Not when the Imperials were overwhelming them. "They'll just push us to Village and follow us," Kanan said. Before Depa could say anything she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She held up her lightsaber and blocked the sudden attack of flying, spinning lightsabers. Kanan stepped back, watching as the lightsabers returned out of sight into the forest. To where their owners were ready to jump out of. Kanan quickly looked to Ahsoka.

The Togruta felt the Force shift and she looked up, locking eyes with Kanan. Ahsoka got the message. Phase three had to start now. Go back to where Rex and her rescue team was hiding in the forest far beyond. Get ready for the next phase. She held up her hands and pushed the force forward into a large group of troopers. Kanan meanwhile went to stand by his master just as the Inquisitors jumped out from behind the brush and attacked. Kanan and Depa blocked attackers but were forced back step by step. Ahsoka took the chance, going up to a soldier and saying "Get a group to help your wounded. I'll lead them to the safety of the waterfall on my way to the ship." He nodded, yelling what Ahsoka said in their language before the wounded followed her out of the battlefield.

From above, Demira managed to see Ahsoka pull back. The next phase was starting but it was too late. With the amount of Stormtroopers, they would surely push her people far back enough they would discover the village. Demira tried to go down and help, but there were so many TIE fighters blocking her way. Sar Sar maneuvered left and right but would end up getting distracted in the end by attacking a TIE and going to the next. Ezra came around on Dhaman, making the creature loop around a TIE as the boy had his lightsaber out to slice a wing. But Dhaman had to suddenly stop and fly backward a bit. Ezra clung on to his neck with one hand but was having trouble doing that and holding onto his lightsaber. An attack from behind Dhaman made Ezra use his lightsaber to block the blasts. But the problem was the barrage that came with it, forcing Dhaman to drop. Ezra wasn't ready and as Dhaman plummeted down so did Ezra but in a free fall. The boy gave a yell calling out to Dhaman to help. The creature maneuvered midair so that as he got level his right leg reached out and grabbed him. The kuru swung Ezra onto his back, the boy clinging on for dear life. Before they could even get ready to attack, they were the ones followed by TIE's.

Hera was having her own trouble. The wild Kuru's that had come to help her and Belle were all being shot down. Many injured or many killed. Belle would hesitate to go and help but would remember his master. Depa needed him to fight. Along with Belle, Hera had Chopper try and provide cover fire for the creatures while she herself tried to take down a couple of TIE fighters. But she would end up flying the Ghost around in ways it made it heard for Chopper. He made a couple of annoying sounds, making Hera say, "I know, I know! But I'm trying not to blow ourselves sky high to help them." Hera looked down to the fight below.

Depa used the force to kick up a pillar of rock from below ground. She sliced at it left and right, creating disks of rock as Kanan channeled to force to lift them and throw them into the Inquisitors. Depa used some rock disks to throw towards Kallus and a couple of Stormtroopers. The Chief's and their warriors looked up as Depa called out, "Pull back! Fekum! Fekum!" Everyone heard her and started to step back into the deep forest, archers doing their best to cover their escape. Sabine heard it too, getting the hunters with her to throw the last of the nets to slow the Stormtroopers down. Kanan and Depa blocked some blaster fire with their lightsabers. Even though the plan was going, it wasn't the way they wanted it. They lost many soldiers and the Imperials used that to boost their confidence and follow them into the brush. They had to keep the Empire from following them.

Large blasts of light came out of nowhere, raining down a line between them and the Imperials. Everyone looked up to see the Ghost fly over and shoot blasts blast down to create a boundary and give them the time to recover. Belle would fly just overhead, providing the Ghost with cover as he took on TIE's trying to stop the Ghost. Hera came around again, giving Depa time to talk to the Chief. "We can't lose any more soldiers. We need to next phase so you take the Tribe and Nomads to the safety of the waterfall."

"But they'll follow us to the village," He argued.

"And they'll keep going and find my people," Urak said.

"I know, the best chance we got is to slow them down."

"And they'll still follow…" Kanan whispered. He looked up at the Ghost as Hera flew it over and made another pass on the boundary she made earlier. But she couldn't keep it up. TIE fighters kept trying to bombard the freighter, Chopper doing his best as cover fire along with Belle. The rest of the wild Kuru were trying to help Sar Sar, Dhaman, and their riders. Btu Ezra and Demira kept focusing on not getting shot down, ordering the creatures to just try and out maneuvers. From the trees, leaves fell as Zeb got his hunters to follow him back to where the others were retreating. From the side, Sabine was doing the same with her group. Kanan looked on. The Imperials were advancing. Kallus and the Inquisitors had quickly recovered from the rock attack. Leading the march. Everything was falling apart. He looked to Depa. She had a dismal look. She knew it too. Only a miracle could change the tied. And a miracle there was.

All of a sudden, Belle dropped down from the sky, landing right on the border that Hera made. The pilot had to pull away from not only almost hitting the creature as he came down but from almost firing at him as he stood there in the middle of the small clearing. Hera maneuvered the Ghost to hover overhead. The Imperials stopped to stare at the giant yellow creature, then looked up to see if the smaller blue ones would follow. But as the Kuri staid on the ground, staring down the enemy, the Kuru above suddenly went to hover by the Ghost. Sar Sar and Dhaman even went to hover with them as well. Their riders confused, staring at each other before looking to Hera and Chopper in the Ghost. They shrugged their shoulders too. Looking down they hoped to get answers.

Not even close. Depa stepped forward as the Chiefs, followers, and rebels all stood by gawking was this part of the plan. "Belle?" Suddenly his blue stripes began to glow brightly. Depa stepped back, surprised. He then stumped his foot on the ground and the green glow somehow channeled through the grass and into the trees. Both sides were stunned, Stormtroopers lowering their weapons as soldier's moved their heads around to watch the lights course through their worlds. The green glow went up like vines through the bark and into the leaves. Then all was still again as Belle stopped glowing and so did everything else. What did they just witness? Then, a far cry in the distance. A cry of all kinds. Hoots, howls, screeches, squawks, roars, and rumbles. The Jungle was alive and getting closer.

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 **A.N: Short again but I wanted that cligffhanger and…. I ran out of time again.. So just quick recap, everything is falling to shit and then… something amazing happens! I felt like with the little views and reviews I'm getting I thought I'd just write whatever the hell I want. Maybe I'll get more readers this way. Just by going nuts. I'm getting super busy! I can't update until April so I'll see you then. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	46. Ch 45: The Force Hears

**A.N: So I'm finally back! It just took me a while to write this chapter. I wanted to get out what I had so far to announce that I'm back. And to say Solo was really good, you all should watch it. the last five minutes, as a Clone Wars/Rebels fan, has me shook!**

 **Callie: Hi! Glad to see you here. And I'm happy you love this story. I update but this and Atollon today!**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

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 **Chapter 45: The Force Hears**

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Ahsoka ran, ran as fast as she could. She jumped over fallen trees and even jumped up to grab onto low branches and swing herself forward faster. As she landed she suddenly felt something coming to her. Like a giant mass. The Force around her responded greatly as a warm wind blew against her. She looked up, seeing larges shapes coming to her. Quickly as she could, she climbed a tree and perched on a branch as creatures of all kinds she's never seen ran below her as a stampede. Something on the trees jumped by her and she had to hang on to the trunk as more creatures swung by her. She heard a screech and looked up. Flocks of flying reptiles were flying in the hundreds. She felt the Force again, this time, looking back to where the fight was behind her. She was contemplating on going back and finding out but she heard a familiar cooing sound. She looked just at the branch above her seeing an unusually green colored and pudgy bird. Definitely not a native species here. "Morai…"

The convore flapped her wings before gliding among the branches to where Ahsoka was going the first time. "Right." Ahsoka continued forward, jumping over passing creatures in the branches as she made way of her side of the mission.

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The ground began to shake and everyone looked to the forest behind the retreating group. Everyone had stopped to watch as shadows came towards the clearing. Depa looked to Belle. She was still trying to understand how he did what he did. But she felt it had been done through Force, and through the force something was called. She could see it in his reptilian-like eyes. They weren't slitted. She turned back to the warriors. "To the sides, now!" the rumbling was getting louder as the shadows got bigger and forming shapes. Kanan and the Chiefs moved to the right as Sabine and the rest of the warriors moved to the left. The Imperials were all confused, except for the Inquisitors. All they did was step to the side, not even warning the rest of what was just about to happen.

Large brown pig like creatures crashed through the brush and into the open. Kallus jumped away in time as one pig charged to him, it's hooved feet kicking up dirt as it did. It ran by him, but being that it was waist high and had tusks half the size, it took out ten soldiers in one go. Sabine watched stunned, "What are those?"

"Uruwe," one hunter answered.

More came crashing through along with some wild Farasi. The ones being ridden on by soldiers gave a loud snort of joy seeing their wild comrades come to help. The wild Farasi trampled some soldiers along with the Uruwe. Zeb's ears perked as she heard rustling in the trees ahead. He told the hunters with him to move to the nearest trunk and hold on. That's when long armed, lengthy creatures swung by. They were blurs of red fur until they stopped to hang around. They had large yellow eyes and flat faces, a long nose hanging down to the chin. "Nyani," a hunter said, just as the creature dropped. They grabbed on to vines and swung down to use the other hand to catch Stormtroopers by the arms. When they swung them up, the Nyani worked to wrap the Imperial soldiers they captured into a tangle of vines. Once thee were done the Nyani would do it all over again. "Hahah! Look at that!" Zeb cheered.

A screech far behind the Ghost made the Kuru riders look back. Hera heard it but she couldn't turn the Ghost around to see. From Chopper spot on the top gunner, the droid focused his optics on a large mass flying towards them. He gave a loud warbled cry of surprise. Hera translated him, "A flock of Kuru?"

The closer the mass came, the more Kuru Demira and Ezra could see. "There are thousands of them!" Ezra yelled out. "Where do they come from"

Demira squinted her eyes and spotted along with the flock were the smaller, four wings creatures. "Aluk!"

When the flock caught up to them, some of them flew passed them towards the TIE fighters. Some ripped off wings. Some crash through the windows and plucked the pilot of the cockpit and threw them to the ground. Other Kuru's along with the Aluk swooped down and attack the Stormtroopers bellow. They landed on top of them, crushing them to knock them out. Some of them grabbed soldiers in their talons and swung the soldiers into others. Using their tough jaws, they clamped down on their heads and threw them across the forest. The Aluk would come in swarms to just attack groups of soldiers.

The Inquisitors managed to cut down two or three Kuru, but suddenly a gain mass came and landed behind the two. Bigger than the Kuru. Just as big as Bele. They looked back and saw a red scaled Kuri with yellow stripes. Thinking it could go down like the others the Seventh sister attacked with her lightsaber. The creature lunged forward with its head but stepped aside to get an angle from her. The creature grabbed the saber by the hilt, locking her hands in its grip. Seventh Sister tried to pull away but couldn't. The creature reared its head back and threw the saber back, taking the Inquisitor with it as he threw her into the deep forest. The fifth brother tried to attack but the orange Kuri stepped back and swung its back body around. Its tail came and knocked the fifth brother into a tree.

From above, Demira gasped, "They came from…. All around Panama…" The Kuru that had been with the flyers departed and went with their new comrades. Using their large taloned feet they grabbed onto the fighters and swung them around to throw them into a loop.

Ezra said, "How?"

"They…. Heard us…" Demira looked down. Back at the forest floor, all the tribesman and nomads watched in awe at the site before them. Animals of all kinds from panama had just come out of nowhere and attacked. After Belle… lit up…. Kanan and the Chief's looked at the creature as Depa approached him. The Kuri walked to his master and held up his head towards her. Depa placed a hand on the top of his snout. Through the Force, Depa closed her eyes and tried to connect and understand what Bele did. When she did though, she felt it. She felt everything. The soft grass beneath her feet, and the strong roots of the trees bellow. She felt hard trucks all the way up to the tips of the branches. She felt the leaves and how they swayed with the wind and she felt how the wind connected to the sky. Like the mountain she felt everything from it's warm base in the forest to its snowy tip. She wasn't lost in the Force though. She wasn't dizzy with it's power. She could single everything out yet she felt it all connected as one. The animals felt it like that too.

Depa opened her eyes. She understood now. Bele raised his head up and looked at the people behind her. Depa looked back and said, "We stick with the plan. The animals will buy us time and weaken the forces. Our job should be to push them back." She called to the warriors waiting and pointed with her lightsaber to the Stormtroopers trying to recover. Though they were still surprised, they did not wait for their Chiefs to do something. Following the female Jedi, the tribesman and nomads gave a war cry and charged. The recovering Stormtroopers had barely any time to stand up before they saw the warriors with their spears ready. In a flurry of fear, many began to retreat. Some were chased by the man, some were chased by the animals. All afraid.

Sabine looked at Kanan and the Chiefs who were still awestruck. She rolled her eyes and said, "You guys have the Force powers and this is a shock to you?"

"I don't even know if this was the Force!" Kanan argued, even though a subconscious feeling told him Sabine was right.

"I don't know either but being around you and Ezra I've learned anything weird has to do with the Force." Sabine pulled out her dual blasters and shot at the feet of some Stormtroopers. The hunters who were with her came around and shot arrows at the armor. They knew it wouldn't penetrate. But it was enough push to get the Imperials to start running. That, and a couple of Aluk helped out by swarming around them and biting through any space between their armor. Above them, Demira saw her masters signal, so she looked to Ezra. He nodded. Together they ha their Kuru's fly towards the TIE fighters and attack along with the wild Kurus. Hera was still a bit shocked but Chopper snapped her out of it with a loud beep sound. "Right, right…" she said breathless and she pushed the wheel forward. The Ghost flew into the fray of TIE fighters

Kanan looked at the Urak and Kerchec, saying, "Can't argue there." He looked around and noticed the Inquisitors having trouble with the orange Kuri. He decided to take the advantage. As the Seventh Sister took on the Kuri and the Fifth brother was pushed back, Kanan came in with lightsaber in hand. The fifth brother looked up in time to see Kanan charge. Fifth Brother took a step forward and put his lightsaber out in front of him. Kanan used his momentum to fall on his side and slide between his opponents legs. Fifth brother expected it and swiped in front of him and then behind him to where Kanan would be. Kanan was two steps ahead. Coming to a roll and kneeling just far enough away that when he faced the Inquisitor, Kanan raised a hand up. A pillar of rock sprouted up and hit Fifth Brother up side the chin.

The big man stumbled back and at that moment the Orange Kuri had managed to clamp down around the Seventh Sister's waist. Not too hard to kill but enough told her as it threw its head back and then flung the female inquisitor forward. Letting go, Seventh sister flew in the air and slammed into a disoriented Fifth brother. When they collided and fell into a pile, the wo scrambled to get off each other. Once on their feet and their lightsabers back in their grip, they looked back. Kanan stood a couple feet away with lightsaber in his hand and the orange Kuri backing him up from behind. Its wings were open, head hunched and mouth up in a snarl.

The Chiefs followed behind Kanan. They went into the fray with their warriors, using their spears to hit a few and send them running. They then bumped into Kallus once again. The agent jumped out and ha his bo-rifle extended to come down on Urak. Kerchec had sensed it, springing up and attacking Kallus mid-jump. He came down with his spear, pinning Kallus in his back as he tried to stab him. The Imperial held out his bo-rifle to stop him. He then kicked out his foot to get Kerchec in the stomach. The chief was pushed back and Kallus attempted to use the distraction to swipe his bo-rifle. Urak then jumped in and grabbed the bo-riffle in hand. He stepped around Kallus quickly to try and wrench the weapon out of the Imperial's grip. When Kallus wouldn't let go, Urak just swung the bo-rifle back, throwing both weapon and imperial into the field of fighters. Kallus fell into a roll. He kneeled and looked at the Chiefs in anger. Turning his staff to rifle mode he aimed for the two. But before he could do anything a wild Farasi ran by and knocked him back again.

From above, Zeb laughed. "Yeah, that'll teach you." He looked up next to him as a Nyani jumped passed him with a vine in hand. It fell down to the ground grabbing a Stormtrooper around the shoulders with it's long toes. The vine coiled up and pulled the Nyani with the trooper to the trees with the waiting hunters. One man grabbed the trooper, knocked him out and threw him onto a branch to hang limp with the rest of the unconscious troopers. Some hunters did what the Nyani did; grab a vine, jumped down and bring up Stormtroopers. Zeb decided to join in. He followed the Nyani's example by using his dexterous toes to grab a Stormtrooper and bring them up. Once Zeb brought the Stormtrooper up on the branch and knocked him out, a Nyani next to him howled joyously before moving on.

The Rebels and the people of Panama had the upper hand once again. Depa watched as she sat at the base of Bele's neck. The fight went on and the Empire was being pushed away. They just needed one more push. Depa looked up at the sky but closed her eyes.

Sar Sar banked left as Demira used her lightsaber in her right hand to slice through the wing of a TIE fighter and let a wild Kuru do the rest and attack the pilot within the cockpit. As she used her spear in her left hand to stab into the side of another passing TIE, Demira suddenly felt a familiar tug in her gut. She smiled. Demira reached back and put her spear to be secured on the strap. Then she pulled another lightsaber that was hanging on her hilt and hidden in the small of her back. She held it up and let it light up. Hera was in the middle of shooting down two TIE fighters when she saw Demira hold a purple lightsaber in hand. Hera sighed but smiled, "All right Chop, that's the signal. Time to pretend we're losing." Chopper gave a reply, making Hera say, "I don't like it either but we agreed to this." She pressed a couple buttons on the console, the shields of the ship turning off. Chopper called again. "Yeah, it was fun while it lasted."

TIE fighters and surrounded her, Hera and Chopper didn't shoot back.

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 **A.N: Its time for the next phase. But for now, I just went all Avatar and how to train your dragon and did something epic! It's a good way to come back. I'll be updating every other week on Sundays, so I'll see you all in two weeks. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	47. Ch 46: Fake Out

**A.N: Late update but I finished this just before the day is done! At least in the west coast…. Whoops. Sorry, it's been both How to Train Your Dragon 3 and Kingdom Heart 3 crazy here. There is just so much going on!**

 **I don't own Star Wars Rebels**

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 **Chapter 46: Fake Out**

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Ezra and Demira had their Kuru's come around, watching as the Imperial fighters attacked the Ghost from all sides. Without the shields, blaster fire was able to penetrate parts of the surface. Hera, slightly nerved, watched from the cockpit as the TIE fighters beat the heck out of her ship. "Just make this look good, just make this look good…" The had the ship rock back and forth before she turned the ship around to start 'falling' towards the ground.

Kanan mid battle with the Seventh Sister looked up to see the Ghost veer off towards the deeper part of the jungle. Towards the river. "Be careful…" he whispered. He then had to duck as he almost got decapitated by the female Inquisitor. Seventh Sister seethed, angry she had missed. She tried again.

Even though the Ghost began to plummet far from the battle, the TIE fighters staid on it to make sure it was down for good. Thankfully, Ezra was already on it. He raised his lightsaber and pointed forward, "Come on, Dahman, let's go." His kuru gave a load squawk, getting the wild Kuru to follow him and his rider. They went after the TIE fighters, striking them down to make sure Hera had room to land her ship.

The Twi'lek pilot held the controls tight as the ship shook with the passing wind. When she breached the top of the jungle canopy, she steered the ship at an angle. "Hope this works…"

A giant rumble was heard throughout the forest, loud enough that even the yells in battle couldn't drown it out. Kallus looked up from his fight against Kerchec and Urak. Sabine stopped firing and Zeb stopped in a branch. Depa looked up to Demira in the sky. The girl had Sar Sar destroy the last TIE fighter before remaining behind to watch the next part of their plan go underway. Demira waited for a sign. Then she saw it. Smoke from where the Ghost had fallen through the canopy.

Demira made Sar Sar dive down before landing on the ground. She jumped off her Kuru and said desperately out loud for everyone to hear. "The Ghost has crashed!"

Kanan jumped away from the Inquisitors as they both came after him at the same time. As he stood up, the orange Kuri came down between him and the red blades. It gave a loud screech forcing the attackers back. Kanan took his chance and bolted into the forest, in the direction where the Ghost fell. "Sabine, Zeb, come on!"

Sabine holstered her weapons as Zeb jumped down from the canopy above. Agent Kallus watched as they ran from the battle. Seeing the smoke rise above the tree line and the desperate look on their faces, the Ghost had crashed and they were running to check for their pilot and droid. The the giant orange flying creature left the Inquisitors and went where Kanan and the others had gone. That's when the animals scattered. The Nyani in the trees left Stormtroopers trapped and began to retreat back into the jungle in groups. Wild Farasi and the Uruwe left the way they came. Some of the flying creatures took the air as well. Kallus's jaw dropped. Did that mean… they won?

Demira ran to Depa and said, "Looks like they know of the plan, too." She pointed to the animals leaving

Seeing as Kanan had just left, the Inquisitors thought to follow. Then they saw the masked master and apprentice. As if they thought what the darksiders were thinking, Bele and Sar Sar swooped down and grabbed them in their talons.

Kallus was still trying to understand what was happening. With the animals retreating, could the Imperials finally finish the fight? With the Ghost down and their crew running away, did the strange people living on this planet loose the upper hand? Did the Empire win this day? He heard grunt behind him and saw the Inquisitors get thrown across the clearing and hit hit a tree. A blue and yellow flying creature flew right over Kallus and went to stand with the strange masked women and the young masked girl. The two men he was fighting called out to their warriors. Leaving the Stormtroopers, men and women with spears and man made weapons ran past Kallus and gathered around their leaders. Those in the trees jumped down and landed without trouble to be with their companions. They all looked, unscathed. They had confidence in their stance. They looked ready to take the Imperials on one more time.

This made Kallus look back. He saw his troops. All with broken armor and blasters exhausted of with over use of fire power. Some men were still standing but several were on the ground trying to recuperate. He saw in the trees above those who were tangled in vines and rope nets. Stormtroopers who got free were helping their compatriots get free. But they too struggled out of pain of the fight. Kallus got angry. They've been in longer battles and looked better. He saw the Inquisitors get up. They were angry, lightsabers in a tight grip. But there were signs. They were hunched over. Breathing labored. Why was this fight any different?

He felt someone get near him and he looked back at the strange people. The masked women came forward with her young follower. The two men he fought were there by her side. Their warriors stood far back, but they had the yellow and blue creature by their sides. They were ready to go. The masked women held out her lightsaber towards him. The young girl next to her held her two sabers in hands by her side. The women said in a mocking tone, "Congratulations, you have won this day… The Ghost is down, their crew retreated, and leaving warriors armed with nothing but spears and bows to face you." At that moment the warriors behind her held out their weapons. The women continued, "But I would highly advice that to keep you victory, you leave now and never come back."

Kallus held his bo staff tight. He wasn't done. He was ready to go another round. But the women was right once again. Retreat was better then to wound more of his soldiers. He was just still in awe though. How did people like them hold up against a strong army like the Imperials. He looked back at the yellow creature. What was it about this planet that made it so special. Special enough the creatures came to the aid of it's human inhabitants? Something to do with this… force thing? He looked back again. the Inquisitors were gone. He knew where they went. They weren't done. But he was. "Troops, back to the base," he ordered.

Kerchec yelled out to the warriors, "Siva'ko!" Everyone of his men retreated into the forest. Urak called out, "Nong!" His warriors followed after the Tribe. Demira stepped back, wanting to follow, but Depa hadn't. She had already sheathed her lightsaber, but the Jedi master still wanted to stay and make sure her words had remained clear. Kallus took one last look at the two, especially Depa. Just like last time, she wasn't going to end his life right there and then. She had the chance and didn't. Her weapon was away. She asked him to leave with his surviving troops. These people, rebels or not, they were merciful. Why? Hearing the groans and pain of his men, he finally turned away. As he put his bo-rifle on the clasp of his back. He said, "All abled men get the wounded back to base. Those in the trees see to it everyone is freed from the traps."

He heard a rustle of leaves and looked back. The masked women and girl were gone. He saw the tips of the tails of the blue and yellow creature disappear behind the brush. A Stormtrooper captain came up to him and asked, slightly out breath, "Sir, what about the Rebels? I can send a team to scout for their fallen ship."

Kallus looked in the direction the Ghost ad crashed. "We already have two people on it."

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Fifth Brother and Seventh sister ran through the brush, cutting away vines and trees that got in their way as they went after Kanan Jarrus and his crew. Kallus may have been tactical in telling his men to retreat, but the Inquisitors were above him. They had their own personal agenda with the Rebels. They followed the tracks of the orange creature that had followed after them. Each one seemed more fresh. They were getting closer. Soon, they got into a space where there were no trees. But there was something else. Upturned earth, made from supposedly the Ghost crashing, was like a scar on the ground. They followed the line of uprooted grass and dirt before they saw the end. It went over a cliff. Looking around, parts of a ship were scattered everywhere.

"After all this talk of this… pilot… being one of the hardest to bring down…" Seventh Sister began.

Fifth Brother finished, "Suddenly a simple air attack brought her down."

"This must be some sort of trick—" The sound of a ship leaving in the distance made the two dark siders look up. In the sky, they saw what looked like a cargo ship. It had the Mandalorian's signature starbird symbol painted on it.

"Or a back up plan."

"This still does not make any sense," the seventh sister slashed the ground in front of her with her lightsaber. "This is too good to be true. For their ship to be destroyed and leave because they had another ship in case they failed? To know exactly what will happen and what to do about it?"

A sound like a growl was heard all around them. It especially came louder from within the forest. Fifth Brother narrowed his eyes. "I believe we have been mislead, too. But this planet has shown nothing but resilience against us. It does not want us to delve further. After all, our quarrel is not with the people of this planet. Lord Vader did not tell us about the Jedi of this place for a reason. Or goal clear and it is not here."

"Careful, you're starting to sound like a Jedi yourself."

Brother growled and turned around, marching towards the forest.

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From the clearing where the strange women marked the border, Kallus watched as the Cargo ship broke the sound barrier in leaving the planet's atmosphere. He crossed his arms and shook his head. He should have known they had a plan for escape. Making the Imperials fight almost to the last breath, using their exhaustion as a distraction to leave without being stopped. He looked back and watch his troopers help those injured into transports. The transports left one by one back to the Destroyer. The Inquisitors soon came. Kallus watched them march by, seething. He didn't need to ask. They knew what he would say. So Fifth Brother said, "We leave now. As Lord Vader has instructed, we hunt down the rebels and their Jedi compatriots. Wherever they go."

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From a tall tree, far from the clearing, far from the battlefield, close to the waterfall, Demira sat on a branch with a smirk. She watched as the transports in the distance left one by one. She climbed down the tree. Crawling down the trunk and often jump from branch to branch before landing on the ground perfectly. Right next to Ezra and Dhaman. The boy sat kneeled, mediating. Hearing Demira come down, he opened his eyes and said, "All clear. At least I think so. I can't sense the Inquisitors nearby so they aren't on to us."

"Neither are the other Imperials," Demira confirmed. As Ezra stood up, Sar Sar came to stand next to Dahman. Then all four of them began to walk around the clearing they were in. Several warriors and hunters helped treat each others wounds. Urak and Kerchec were talking with each other at the edge of the clearing. Then Demira and Ezra got to the Ghost that sat intact at the other edge of the clearing. Sabine, Zeb, and Chopper were fixing up miner damages on the surface. The young Padawan and their Kurus stopped at the foot of the ramp where Bele and the Orange Kuri sat together. The two looked inside the cargo area and saw Kanan, Hera, Depa were sitting by the transmitter. Her had the communicator in hand, as well as a smile on her face. Ezra asked, "Well?"

Kanan said, "They weren't stopped by Imperials. Ahsoka and Rex just confirmed they were going into hyperspace. We'll meet up with them in 24 hours. As long as our end of the plan worked."

"It did," Ezra said. "No Inquisitors. No Kallus. No Imperials. They bought it."

"Told you I could make a crash look good," Hera said.

Kanan smirked, "Well, you have crashed for real before—"

"No, luv, those aren't crashes. They are exciting landings."

"You don't say…"

Depa smiled and stood up, "Well, we know what a successful plan calls for…"

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 **A.N: Ok it's late and I can't talk much. But I do want to say now that I think about it… I really didn't have to explain the plan in the earlier chapters didn't I? Ugh… well… a writer learns from her mistakaes, right? Anyway. The final battle is done! It seems like victory may not be the right word, but each side lives to fight another day. More soon, I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	48. Ch 47: Decision Made part 1

**A.N: We get season 4 on DVD next month AAAAHHH, I think. Anyway, so I guess it's time to admit that this story is…. a mess. There is a lot of cool stuff but it is everywhere. And I noticed my readership has dropped. Loong story short, this fic will be ending soon. Not because I hate it. If I hated it I would have stopped a long time ago. But I do want to give it a finish, and the best one. So I'm taking the time to write the last chapters. Meaning they will be short chapters as of today. I will also be updating them weekly….. starting in two weeks. I'm going camping this week but I will be back the week after. ENJOY THE CHAPTER!**

If this really was a show, there is a theme i've always wanted as a track for scenes within the village. It's called Eloi and is from the movie Time Machine. Try it out :)

 **I don't own Star Wars**

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 **Decision Made part 1**

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The jungle was quiet. The only sound was the Imperial transports leaving. The sun was just about to set when the last of the Imperials were gone and there was no sign of a Star Destroyer. The Jungle came to life with cheers of joy. The sound came from a particular place. Beyond the waterfall. Nomads and Tribe members celebrated together, dancing around the bonfire and eating alongside each other in the Village. Children were playing together and elderly swapped stories with one another. Music played from their manmade instruments. It was a sight to see for the Shaman and Chief Kerchec. The orange cladded man said, "To think we were nothing but enemies days ago."

Chief said, "We were never enemies. That was our first fault,"

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Depa. "I'm glad to hear that," she said, proudly. She sat down next to him, with Kanan, Hera, Sabine, Chopper, and Ezra sitting by in that order. All with empty bowls in their hand, they sat down and waited for the baskets of food to be passed down. In the mean time Sabine, carried on the conversation looked on and said, "All my life I've done nothing but to study wars. If not, to hear nothing but war stories. To think there is a way to achieve this level of peace. And keep it just like this and turning enemies into friends. I want this moment to last. It's probably the only place it can last at all."

When the Shaman was handed a basket, he picked his food and said, "I may not know much of your world, warrior, but I do hope one day you see peace like this again." Sabine nodded in gratitude.

He handed the basket to the Chief who asked, "Speaking of warriors, are you missing one?"

As if on cue, they heard Zeb laughing from behind. They turned to see him coming up to the group with some warriors from both Tribe and Nomad. He seemed to be having a good time with the basic speakers because he was saying with a hearty laugh, "…. And I bet the blood rushing to their heads made them see nothing but that. Guess they're not used to getting high like us…. There are no trees where they're from." The warriors laughed. Ezra bit his lip to keep from laughing. Zeb said to the people, "You guys go on, I'm gonna eat."

He sat down in a space between Sabine and Chopper. By then the basket had came to him and ge grabbed a hand full of food. As he handed the basket over Chopper's head and to Ezra, the boy smirked and said, "As high as you?"

"Oh, you heard. Yeah were talking about clinbing and it—hey wait a second!" Ezra started laughing as Zeb tried to reach over Chopper and grab the boy.

"Guys, really?" Kanan commented.

Zeb pointed at Ezra, "He started it."

"Hey," Ezra began, "I'm happy for you on finding your niche again with the warriors but it doesn't mean I won't take advantage of it."

"If you're going to do that to me, might as well do it Chopper here. He's the one playing all nice with the kids. We all know what's really under that metal."

Chopper gave a load wurp, sounding like he was surprised, then trying to disagree. All of a sudden, a little id ran by, jumped onto Chopper's head, then hopped down. The child ran to a group and motioned the droid to follow. Chopper seemed to hesiatate, not wanting to prove Zeb's point. But he couldn't resist. These little young flesh bags were something else. The droid just rolled forward, leaving the group.

"That sucker…." Ezra muttered. Suddenly a blue head came on Ezra' head. He looked up to see his Kuru. "Hey Dahman. Here to take Chopper's place?"

"Don't give us any ideas," Kanan warned. Suddenly the Orange Kuri came and laid down behind Kanan and Hera. The giant let its head rest next to Kanan's lap. "Ugh…."

"Who says we can't keep them, huh?" Ezra asked sarcastically.

Kanan looked at at Hera who was patting the creature on the said. "No way is Chopper getting replaced, but I do like these big guys."

Kanan raised an eyebrow at Hera and everyone slightly froze. They weren't use to seeing Hera not only so relaxed but even considerate about such an option. Depa smiled, "Finally seeing nature's potential, my dear?"

Hera realized she had been caught and she smiled sheepishly, "After today's win with barely anything on our end…. I think the simple way has its advantages. I see it clearly…. What is it that Demira says?"

Kanan was quick to answer, "Oe nagt kame… I understand you."

Ezra looked around curiously, "Hey, where is Demira? I have to talk to her about Mace's lightsaber."

"Didn't you already?" Sabine asked.

"Yeah but I need her to teach me how to use two in flight." He pretended to swing his arms around and hold imaginary lightsabers.

Depa frowned and she pointed across from the bonfire. "She has been with him all night."

Everyone frowned and looked to see Demira sitting with her uncle Urak and a couple of nomads. They seemed to be laughing or swapping fighting techniques. Depa said to the Chief and Shaman, "I think it's about time we talk with her."

Suddenly the music picked up and more people came around the bonfire to dance. Demira smiled and grabbed her uncle's hand, pulling him up to his feet. She brought him out to a space by the bonfire and waved her hands around in a fluid motion. Just like how she taught Ezra how to dance. Already knowing how, the Chief of the nomads followed her moves. They were in sync.

Sar Sar came around next to the Chief and just flopped down on her belly, laying her head down and not even tryong to look up. She looked somewhat sad. "I do think Demira's mind is made up," The Chief said back, this time somberly.

The crew was worried. They wanted to do something, but this was out of their league. At this point, Depa thought that letting Demira go with her blood family was the right thing. It's what she always wanted. Suddenly she felt a large head come next to her. Bele's face was there, staring at her. Just like when they first meet, there was something he was trying to tell her. Depa had a feeling….

Demira made a decision… but what was it truly?

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 **A.N: Tying up stories for some characters and getting close to the end for some others. They won! Kind of… but we still party! And finally, what is Demira's decision? I'll see you all in two weeks. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	49. Ch 48: Last Trial

**A.N: FYI, the Note gave you guys yesterday is gone and has been replaced with this chapter. An update, yay! Remember, it's every two weeks on Sunday.**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

(This means translation)

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 **Chapter 48: Last Trial**

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The night stayed dark but the celebration came to an end. The Tribe guards offered to take the Nomads back across the river by canoe. Chief Urak stayed behind to be the last to go. He waited by the shore bank with Demira. He said to her, "Pehem lawnol alo, Demira. Oe lawk fra'u txon." (What a great time, Demira. I could talk all night.)

"Awnga soaia nulkrr vira. Awnga tam run ni'ul, eyawr?" (We are family long separated. We have to find out more, right?)

"Srane..."(Yes) Urak said with a slight distant tone. Then he became a bit less livid. "Kxawm… swey fya 'anla awnga lawk ni'ul nga wrz'u ne'im" (Perhaps… the best way for us to talk more is if you come back.)

"Wrz'u ne'im" (Come back?)

"Nga lu Kumohu, Lum… dese…. Demira. Nga snok fa ayoe. Wrz'u kelku nga watu, " (You are Nomad, Luma… I mean… Demira. You belong with us. Come live with your people.) In joy of the offer, Demira looked on at the Nomads leaving by canoe towards the Waterfall. She smiled. She always wanted to know why she was left, even when she hid it with anger of being left alone. But now she knew, and she knew she was left for good reason. Nomad was family. She felt that was complete. But…

Demira frowned. All the happiness she felt since she found out the truth of her heritage was suddenly gone. She was afraid again. And not of being of Nomad. But of not being Tribe anymore. Urak saw her stiffen up and he asked, " Ayanga muia, Demira?" (Are you all right?) "Luma? Luma? Demira?"

A voice brought her out of her thoughts. But it wasn't Urak's. "Demira." The girl and the Nomad looked back. Depa was walking down to her with the Chief, Bele, and Sar Sar just behind. She looked to Urak who saw her become torn with finishing the conversation or talking to her master. He figured that being it was a sudden question she had to think about, he said, "Take your time. The season doesn't end for a long while. We will still be at our settlement." Demira didn't know what to say. She was thankful that he considered her thoughts on the offer, but she wondered he wanted her to make a certain choice. As Depa and the Chief caught up, Urak said to them, "I must leave, but I thank you for a pleasant time."

"Anything for those who helped us in our most dire need," The Chief replied.

"No thanks need. We must fight for all our people after all." Urak turned and walked to the last canoe leaving.

"Will do," she said with a small smile, but then Depa looked down at Demira. "Are you tired?"

Demira looked confused. That's what she came to ask? Demira thought about it. Surprisingly, even after a long battle, and almost no sleep for hours, she wasn't tired. Demira said, "No… why?"

"Let us go to the cave then." Bele's lowered himself to the ground, letting Depa and the Chief climb on to the base of his neck easier. Demira stiffened. The cave…. That means… this was serious. Demira used the force to jump up high and land on Sar Sar's back. As they were about to take off, Kanan and Ezra came. Ezra on Dhaman's back and Kanan right behind Ezra. "Mind if we tag along?" Kanan asked.

Depa smiled, seeing he wanted to help. She nodded. Demira asked Kanan, "You won't ride your Kuri?"

She pointed to the orange creatures just roaming along the bank of the river on the other side. Kanan said, "I like him, but… I never rode him, and I think he's more of a free spirit."

With that, the flyers took off. From bellow at the entrance of Depa's hut, Hera, Sabine, Zeb, and Chopper watched them fly towards the back entrance. The Shaman came walking up to them and said, "A choice must be made. Akoku Mountain is the best place to see the right path."

Hera crossed her arms. "Let's just hope it's the right one, whichever one it is."

Instead of going over the river, downstream, and to the right, Depa led the way far left, leaving the river right behind them as the soared up the mountain. They got to where the trees stopped growing on the side of the mountain. Instead, there was hard rock to the snowy top. The creatures landed at the base of the tree line and faced the rocky surface that had a cave entrance. "Is this…" Ezra began.

"An ancient Jedi temple." Depa said as Bele lowered himself and Depa and the Chief climbed down. Demira and Ezra jumped off their Kuru's as Kanan climbed down. Bele took her staff and tapped it on the stone ground. Bele and Sar Sar laid down. Dhaman watched and copied. Going inside the cave, Ezra, Kanan, Depa, Chief, and Demira walked towards the end.

The light from the moons gave light at the beginning but then it got dark. Ezra asked through the darkness, "No one thought to bring a light source of some kind… what do you guys use… a torch?"

"No need," responded the Chief. A few moments of confusion before a light at the end of the tunnel pulsed green. Kanan and Ezra wondered what made such light until they got to the end. The floor was flat, almost, with a small three-inch deep pit. In the middle was circle of green light coming from a flat glass shale. The rest of the light crept up the walls of the room like small cracks. They gave off light and surrounded paintings that covered all the walls. "Below that shale. It has to be a kyber crystal," Kanan pointed out.

Depa said, "It's a theory of mine as well, but this is a sacred place to the Chief and Shaman. I left it undisturbed." Kanan nodded in agreement.

Ezra want from one part of the wall to the next, Demira right behind him to explain excitedly what each wall meant. "This wall depicts how the Tribes long ago envisioned what life is like out in in the galaxy. This one has a battel between Jedi and Sith. This wall is an image of the All Mother, the animals and plant surrounding her showing they are all one. And this one…" she faltered a little before saying, "… has symbols of many marks of the tribe life you can earn."

Ezra asked, "And those tunnels." Ezra point to two other dark entrances in the room.

Depa explained, "Trails of the Jedi were done in those dark tunnels long ago."

"So here's where you had your Padawan Test," Ezra said to Demira. Demira could only shrug.

Everyone nodded and sat down. Depa next to Demira. The Chief across form them with Kanan and Ezra on either side. Demira looked at Depa. "Urgent…" she said.

Depa smiled. Demira sounded like how she first met the Jedi. Short words but to the point. "It is urgent. Almost. But you must take your time. Listen well." Demira nodded.

Depa looked to the Chief. The man sighed and began. "Demira. You have been with us for many full seasons. You have the Mark of the Tribe. But you have also found your family. The Nomads. Your uncle."

Demira understood. As if the prior conversation didn't make this a coincidence at all. Demira smiled as she said, "Urak wants me to join the Nomads… and part of me wants to." then she frowned and hugged herself. "All my life I wanted to know the truth. And now I do. My parents loved me. They left me but did so to save me. And I have an Uncle who is alive and loves me. I know now and I love the Nomads. With them I am complete." The next part made her take a deep breath first before saying, "I had worked so hard to be the best. To prove myself to the Tribe. When I started my Jedi training, I had always wanted to use the Force to help the Tribe in anyway way I could. I have the Tribe Mark. I love the Tribe. For that I also feel… incomplete still. And with so much I must handle."

"What do you mean handle?" Ezra asked.

"I am Force sensitive, gifted by the All Mother. Those with the strong bond are destined to be Shaman or Chief." Depa looked at Kerchec who looked at the ground in shame. It was true. Demira had to consider those two options. Demira continued, "And in working so hard I can accomplish all the talent marks. I could have any Chapa. But which one… I'm so confused."

Depa reached out and pulled Demira close. Then the Jedi master looked at the three across from them. Knowing what to do, the Chief spoke first. "Demira, it is true you must consider all the options. But do not be bound by responsibilities. The All Mother gave you this gift, but it is a gift you get to decide to use or not. I want you to be happy, not burdened. You have family now after all and family is important." Demira saw the sadness in his eyes. She could tell it really hurt him to let her go. He raised her. She bit her lip. It hurt to let him go to.

Ezra felt compelled to add on, "Yeah, yea, that's something I learned when I took my trail. I don't have to prove myself to anyone. It just matters if I'm doing the right thing. You helped the Tribe and you helped the Nomads. You love them both. They should know that by now. Wherever you go, they'll understand." Demira nodded. Maybe she didn't need to prove herself anymore. But maybe that was the way of the Rebellion? Wasn't Tribe life more traditional?

Now it seemed it was Kanan's turn. He felt like he had the least to say. Yes, never knew what it was like to be torn between two places. He was always forced from one place to the next after Order 66. The only choice he made was following Hera into the Rebellion, and it was the right choice. Here it seemed either choice was right. So many options. Kanan began, "There were all kinds of Jedi back in the day. Protectors, fighters, teachers. Just like them, the Tribe gives you so many options and they are all good. In the end, the only thing you have to worry about is what kind of Jedi you get to be wherever you want to be." Demira smiled. Kanan understood. And though she and he fought not more than a few days ago, she took his words seriously now. There was a good choice. But what choice would make her happy and not regret?

Depa smiled. These were all great words of wisdom, but when she looked at Demira, the girl seemed more confused than enlightened. Depa turned to kneel facing Demira. Knowing Depa had words to say, Demira turned to her. Depa said, "Talk to me."

Demira sighed and said, "My training. I'm not done yet, am I?"

Depa took the girl's face in her hands, brushing a lose strand of hair from the girl's face. "Demira, since I've met you, all you've ever wanted was to do good. You were lost but the little hope grew your kindness. Your judgments may have been rash at sometimes. But over the years, and especially in the last few days, you have never been more understanding. And that is good. You have learned. You helped lead an army into battle. With minimal causality and Why? Because you thought. When you thought you found a solution to bring two opposing groups together to face a real threat. This solution brought you to face your fears. In the end not only did you face the truth you saved your people. Both of them." Demira smiled. She felt a swell of pride. "Now, I may not represent the entire Jedi Council…" Depa let go as Demira looked up at her with eyes in wonder. "… But I was a member and I do consider this… a Trial."

"You mean…." Demira grinned.

Ezra perked up, giving a smile of his own, "Like… seriously…" he looked at Kanan. The man shrugged. Sure there was always room for improvement, but having been one of the many people Demira had to face these last few days, Kanan agreed it was probably time. And a plus Demira had ten years under her belt.

Depa said, "Let this decision be your last test. But remember this. There is always a part of everything you have always been inside you. No matter where you go, or what you call yourself, there is part Nomad, Tribe, and Jedi in you. You have all of these and you will never lose them because they made you who you are now."

Demira would have begun thinking on what Depa said, if she didn't have one more question to ask. "What of you?" Demira reached out and placed a hand over Depa's chest. "Saoia."

Depa bit her lip, trying to hold her breath to keep from crying. Family. They were family. Depa brought her hand out to reach for the back of Demira's skull. Pulling her close, Depa lowered heard head and touched foreheads with the young girl. Demira closed her yes as Depa almost whispered, "You are mine to me, always. That part is in you too. And whatever it happens it will always be."

Demira smiled. She felt overwhelmed with emotions and shed a small tear.

Everyone soon left the girl to meditate. As they walked out, Kanan looked at the images. He was intrigued by the symbols and the depiction of the Jedi. But it was the All Mother that intrigued him. The way she was shaped, and how she was painted green on the bottom and white to the top… it was the mountain. The animals surrounding it were animals that they saw come to help in the battle. The orange Kuru one was especially seen at the top with the yellow one. Lead the way out of the tunnel and back outside. He went to stand next to Dhaman as he asked Depa, "How long do you think she'll take?"

"As long as she needs to," Depa answered.

The Chief went up to stroke Bele on the forehead and said, "I just hope…" He faltered to look at Depa.

The Jedi women said, "I know… but it's up to her." Kanan looked at Depa but looked away quickly, not wanting her to know what he thought. She knew anyway. Looking at Kanan, she said, "Perhaps, I can take your offer to join the Rebellion. After tonight, I believe my work here will be over."

"Master…" Kanan said, but in surprise. A part that he and Ezra felt was a bit joyous. Since they found Depa here all they thought of is what it would be like to have another Jedi join their cause. But they felt more guilty then happiness now. Having seen her spend time with Demira, the Chief, and the Tribe, Depa seemed so happy. She had proved she wasn't being held back, but now Depa made it seem like she was. She couldn't have just chosen to stay all those years ago just to train Demira.

The Chief walked up to Depa and began to say, "But Demira has not made her choice yet. You can still stay."

Depa said, "She found what she always wanted, Kerchec."

"But I…" The Chief couldn't finished. Kanan saw a familiar glint in the man's eyes. The same thing always happened to him whenever he wanted to spend time with Hera. Kerchec reached a handout and said, "You can still stay…"

Depa looked down and shook her head. What else could she do on Panama? The villagers already know basic. The people understand what the world is like beyond theirs. The Chief could lead his people without her. She could do more as a Rebel Jedi. But Depa couldn't face him to say it. She didn't know why to him, it was harder to say. She didn't take the Chief's hand and instead went up to Bele.

Kerchec let his hand fall to the side and didn't look to see Depa climb up on Bele. Kanan quickly walked by the Chief and said, "All we can do is stand by what they want, even if we want to be with them all the time."

The Chief smiled, remembering the many hints he saw of Kanan and Hera's deep relationship. Btu he frowned again. Kanan and Hera remained together anyway. Kerchec and Depa would be apart.

Moments later, Sar Sar watched form bellow and Bele and Dhaman flew their riders back down to the mountain. The Kuri left on the ground looked back at the entrance of the cave where his rider was.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **A.N: So the party is over and a trail begins. Oooo I've waited for this part for so long for this part. All paths are have been considered, but what will Demira choose. And we do it back at the caves. The caves that were last seen in the first story. Looks like they came back for a good reason, why? More soon. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out**


	50. Ch 49: Everything I Am

**A.N: So Comic Con had me go nuts at every bit of news but STAR WARS HAS ME GOING SKY HIGH! CLONE WARS IS BACK EVERYONE! I hope Depa makes some sort of appearance or I'm going to be so mad!**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

 **(Suggested Music to Listen: Rivers of Light soundtrack: 5. "Rivers of Light")**

* * *

 **Chapter 49: Everything I Am**

* * *

Demira sat crossed legged in the middle of the dome room. She reached her senses out to whoever may listen. From the traces over her ancestors in the walls, to the voices of her predecessors through the tunnels. Whispers are what she heard, but they were like echoes of the earth within the mountain. Demira sighed. She was good at mediating for a while, and little problems were always solved through contemplation. But Demira was a bit different. There were bigger things she worried about. Things that just sitting around and thinking would not solve.

She stood up and walked around the small room. She saw the wall with the lightsaber battle. She had always felt connected to it since she found out she could use the Force for good and started her training. Now that she knew she was related to a Jedi, Demira felt more connected than ever. She could be a Jedi.

She walked to the other side of the room. The wall of symbols. The Marks she could earn if she stayed with the tribe. All of them seemed suited to her. Demira was a great fighter, a good hunter, a stealthy guard, a resourceful gatherer…. There was so much she could do. And Leader and Shaman… that was such a high position. Demira would really need time to think about which one of those was where her talents were best suited… if she chose them at all. She was a well-rounded tribe's girl. Demira saw the symbol of Family at the top. She thought of her uncle, and the nomadic people. They long missed her. They welcomed her with open arms. She could learn their ways of travel and see the rest of the world. She was Luma… a Nomad after all.

Demira then reached the last wall. The All Mother painted in green. Long flowing hair drawn like the vines and leaves from trees. Her arms were at her side motioning to all the animals surrounding her. The All Mother… the force… a being a wisdom and unity. She seemed so at peace with so much to live up to. Just like Depa. Demira wished she was like them both. To know what her path is and not be lost.

Suddenly that got her thinking of what the other had said. Kerchec said that being shaman and chief, though limited to those force sensitive, was still a choice that took time to understand. And Ezra did have a point. She didn't have to prove herself to anyone anymore. She was ready for anything. Kanan, having been raise in the temple and adapted to the changing world, said there were many paths force sensitives can take. And Depa… Demira couldn't leave her, they were Saoia. Family. But Depa could also go back to what she does best, fighting for the galaxy. And Demira, as much as it hurt to let her go, had to accept it. Yet she had to remember what Depa said… everything she had been and will be will always be a part of her. When she was young, she grew up feeling like nothing. Now she could be anything. She was… anything… she was Demira.

The girl gasped and stepped back, looking at All Mother once again. It hit her like a stampede of Urura. The answer was right there. As if the outstretched arms of All Mother were her big sign. She wasn't just motioning to the animals surrounding her. Demira looked at the wall of the Jedi, the wall of the Tribe Symbols, the symbol of family. All Mother motioned to all.

This was Demira's path.

The girl ran out of the cave excited.

* * *

Depa tried to stay awake as everyone had gone to sleep, but well past midnight and the days battle made her fall asleep without struggle. The sunlight broke through the leaves of the canopy above the next morning, making Depa and the rest of the village wake up to noon high.

As the Ghost crew packed what they had brought with them, Depa sat in the middle of her hut. She stared at her things she had gathered. But she didn't have the incentive to but them in any sort of storage. But why, didn't she pack? Didn't she want to go with Caleb—Kanan— She looked back and saw the crew leave the hut. All except for Kanan. He stood there at the door. He didn't seem to be waiting. He was just watching. He had a smile, but it seemed forced. She remembered seeing how genuinely happy he was the first time he mentioned Depa's possibility of joining the Rebellion. Now… it didn't seem like he was all for it. He asked, "Are you about ready?"

Depa tried to act excited. "Almost," she said as she got up and walked to a corner of the room, "I'm just a bit slow…" she reached for the first thing that came to her hand. Hanging on the wall was a satchel. On contact, the sound of wrinkled paper. Depa slowly took the bag in her hands and opened it. Pulling out a large piece of paper, she looked at what was on it. It was the mug shot of Kanan ten years ago. The bounty paper was the reason she was here. She wanted to look for Caleb, but instead, she found Demira and the Tribe. And for the first time, she found a place she could really call home.

"Master…" Kanan said as he came and looked at the paper and back to her. "Is this what you want?"

Depa knew right there that he knew… that she didn't want to leave Panama. "I… can't… but what would I do…"

"You'll know," He assured her with a hand on her shoulder. "You were able to do it before. And you have people here."

Depa looked Kanan surprised. Was he… "Caleb?"

A squawk outside made them both look out. From the small skylight of the hut, they saw a large shadow fly over. Running out, Kanan and Depa stopped at the edge of the pillar. Bele was there looking up, watching as Sar Sar flew into the village and landed in the wide space near the empty bonfire. Tribes people came a surrounded the creature as Demira jumped off and landed on the ground. As she stood, many of her people came and surrounded her, asking her questions. Looks like the news had gone out. She was on her final trial and making her ultimate decision.

Among the Tribe was the crew, without Depa and Kanan. Chopper was the first to wheel himself over to Demira's feet. The girl kneeled and patted the droid on the head. Everyone could see her, she was happy. Whatever decision she made, she was ok with it.

Bele soon came and landed in the back of the crowed. The people parted to let Kanan and Depa climb of the Kuri and walk down to Demira. The girl stood up and walked quickly up to Depa. The women looked nervous but she kept her body upright to show composure. "Demira… have you decided?"

"Yes, and I know exactly what I'm going to be…" the long pause made everyone get just as nervous as Depa, and then Demira said something that shocked the Tribe. "All of them."

the whole crowed became confused. Depa's eyes went wide. Suddenly from the crowd on the right came the Chief and the Shaman. The Shaman asked, "Ongo! You want to be all of what? The Tribe tasks?"

Demira clarified. "No, not that. Depa said there is a part of everything I was in me, so why not be both Tribe, Nomad, and Jedi."

The Chief smiled and looked at Depa. The Jedi master herself was still surprised but smiling. Something told Depa that Demira wasn't going to really leave the Tribe. The Shaman continued to get flustered, "But that doesn't make sense, how can you be all. You must choose one."

"But I can't. I'm a Jedi too. And sometimes the path of a Jedi changes." Kanan crossed his arms and looked at Ezra. The boy was beaming. Demira did something that was new and possibly a game changer.

"But—you—kusa t eke- lot ma'a—"

"Bruton, stop, please," The Chief urged. Then he went to Demira and asked, "How would you be able to do this?"

"Well, a Tribes person must always be with family, right? Well, my family is with the Nomads. I am Nomad, therefore I can go and visit them from time to time. Now, my family is also here among the Tribe. I have worked hard to gain my Mark, therefore I will come to visit here from time to time as well. And I must come back because I believe my mark lies in being a Shaman or a Chief. It may take time to see which of those will best suit me but I believe in learning from both of you I can find out how I can which I can do best to lead my people in the future. So for now, I will protect my people, from both the Tribe to the Nomads, as a Jedi." Demira then became more excited, "I will be the Jedi Demira of Panama, Protector of all its People."

Depa put a hand over her chest almost in disbelief, but smiled all the way. Demira was making her own new path.

Shaman's mouth dropped open, almost looking like his jaw could drop to the ground. There were many reasons he was against it. but there were many reasons Demira was right. Because one thing affected another. And it's why she was the way she was. The Shaman sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Then he looked up and said with a bit of a smile, "Looks like this next ceremony will be an interesting one."

"Actually…" Demira began, "If I may request something…"

* * *

By the wall of the canyon along the village, where a large space by a small rock outcrop was set like an amp theater, the Tribe and the Nomads gathered. They watched up on the stage as several of their young adult tribe's members received Talent Marks of their choosing from the Shaman. They stood in a row, their chest or arm being painted with unique black symbols. The crowed cheered seeing them earn their Chapa. They also cheered as their new friends received the Mark of the Tribe. The crew stood in a row with the Chief going to them one by one. Even to Chopper. He painted two green line on their right cheek, each. With Ezra, on the left. After receiving the Tribe Mark, Ezra elbowed Sabine, "Check it, double the Tribe Mark because I'm just that good."

"How about—" she put a hand on the boys head and shoved it down hard.

"Ow!"

"Double the Tribe Mark means non one would believe you the first time."

"All right, you two," Kanan grumbled. "Be respectful. We're being honored in a pretty big way to these people."

"It's really nice for Demira to think of us on our big day," Hera commented.

Zeb added, "Well like she said. To get the Tribe Mark, you got to show your loyalty to the Tribe. I'd say a good day of taking on the Empire is a win." Chopper agreed, his head going in a swivel before her pointed at his mark by his scope.

Soon, Depa came up and joined them. She said, "Well, don't you all look great." Everyone beamed. She then turned to face the crowed. Everyone parted as Demira came walking down the aisle with Chief Urak. The girl had one what looked like a Jedi robe that went down to her ankles and the sleeves up to her wrist. Unlike her normal orange wrap around her torso and breast, she had a long sleeveless dress with robe tied around her waist. Demira and Urak went up the stage and the girl waved at the crew. They waved back. Urak stood by the Chief as the girl was suddenly surrounded by the others who received talent marks. They thanked her in their language. "Irayo," she said before turning to face the Chief. He said, "Though you may not know if the path of the Shaman or Chief is right, training will lead you there. For now…"

He reached for some black paint from the Shaman. The Chief held the bowl in his hands as the other hand was used to paint something on Demira's forehead. Demira couldn't see until the Chief was done and the Shaman handed her a bowl of water. Through her reflection, she saw the outline of a Kuru, but the neck was shaped like the middle spire of the Jedi insignia. Even the side of the insignia could be seen as it arced from the claw tip of the wing to the body. "Wow…"

"It was your colorful friend's idea…" The Shaman said, pointing to the Mandalorian. "She picked up the history of our art pretty quickly."

"That's me," Sabine smirked.

"Thank you," Demira said.

Then she turned to Depa. The women reached to the side of the girl's head. In the locks of her hair was the lone Padawan braid with feathers. Demira bit her lip nervously as Depa undid it for her. Once it was undone, Demira looked up and smiled. Depa put her hands on the side of the girl's face, gently stroking her fingers across the girl's cheek. "I'm so proud of you."

"It's because of you, Master," Demira said before bowing. Depa bowed in return.

Ezra whispered, "Man, I can't wait for my own Jedi ceremony." Kanan frowned.

Depa and Demira stood tall, the Jedi Master saying in a bright tone, "Your time will come with patience." Then she looked at Kanan, "Are you sure you don't want to?"

Kanan shook his head. "Like I said, something tells me… it's not my time yet."

Depa smiled. Caleb… so humble. She nodded towards the Chief. The man motioned to the newly inducted Talent Markers as well as the crew forward. Depa stood by with the Shaman and Urak as the Tribe Chief said out loud, "A congratulations to the ones who found their path, from hunter, to guardsmen, to the newly made Chapa, Jedi of Panama." Demira smiled along with her compatriots. "And a welcome to the newest members of our Tribe." The Chief stated loudly. The crew smiled. When he spoke again in their language, the crowd cheered. From the back, Dhaman, Sar Sar, Bele, and the Orange Kuri gave load roars.

Demira and the other inductees hooted and hollered. Zeb, Sabine, Ezra, and Chopper yelled out along with them as Hera and Kanan clapped along. Hera leaned towards the Jedi, "I guess it's time to head out…"

"Yeah." Kanan agreed, a bit glum.

* * *

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* * *

 **A.N: As you can see, we are hitting the end of the story. Next chapter will decide one more fate of another before the crew leaves. Will Depa stay or go? Find out next, I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	51. Ch 50: Farewell for Now

**A.N: NOTICE! This is not the last update. But we are reaching the end. I did a bit of fan casting by the way. If Depa had a voice actor, I want it to be Glenn Close. She played Kala in Tarzan and Close brought that motherly tone I imagined Depa to have. And if Demira had a voice actor… it would be me… so I guess it's up to you guys to figure out who would voice her.**

 **HuffleHecate: It would be cool if she could join the rebellion. Think of all the possibilities, and the Inquisitors wouldn't have stood a chance!**

 **Music suggested to listen to: "Farewell" from the Pocahontas soundtrack.**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

* * *

 **Chapter 50: Farewell for Now**

Depa strapped the Rebel's transmitter on to Bele's back. Once she was done she looked out behind her to the village. After the ceremony at noon high, the Nomads had gone back to their settlement. Only Urak was left behind as he talked arrangements with the Chief and Shaman. The three were by the bank of the river as the crew put their stuff in a canoe. Or at least they tried. They were surrounded by Tribespeople who were giving their thanks, congratulations, and goodbyes.

Kanan was trying his best to get rid of the orange Kuru that had been following him since the battle. The man seemed to be connecting with it through the force, but any message he tried to get through only rewarded him with licks on the face. Kanan could only pet the creatures as he tried to wipe the saliva off his clothes. Zeb saluted to the warriors and guards, exchanging last minute tips and stories. Those who could not speak basic gave the Lasat a pat on the back. Sabine was with many of the artisans as they gave her wooden bowls with secure lids to keep the natural paint inside fresh. The Mandalorian almost leaped in excitement. Hera spoke with many of the women and thanked them for many of the trinkets and jewelry they gave as a gift. Ezra and Demira laughed and joked with the new inductees. Chopper was surrounded by many children, almost all of them crying at the fact that the droid would have to go. Usually, Chopper didn't like such crowed around him, but these kids were something else. They genuinely loved him, so… he just let them hug it out.

Depa smiled and had Bele follow her to the shoreline. When she got there, she first met you with the leaders. Urak was finishing up, saying, "Then it's settled. For five days she is with the Nomads and then for another five days she's with you."

"And we switch back and forth. Hmmm. Not such as bad arrangement. We'll talk to her about it then." Then the Chief looked up at the Shaman and asked, "You seem so sad, Bruton."

"He-heh wha- Oh. I was just thinking how a few days ago I wanted nothing of the little Oofa… now…. I'm probably going to miss the laughter the days Demira is gone."

Urak narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean Oofa—"

The Chief stepped in with a sheepish smile. "That is an explanation for another time—Oh here comes Depa. It's time to go."

Urak and Shaman both began to walk down to the canoe but Chief waited for Depa. As the women came, The Chief planned to say something to her. He wanted to tell her something he had been meaning to say all his life, but as Depa walked by, he was tongue tied. "Come Kerchec." Depa held out a hand towards him. The Chief took it.

The crew piled into the canoe with the leaders, M'Stari steering the canoe out. But not everyone could fit. Ezra, without hesitation, decided to ride Dhaman on the water just like Demira did with Sar Sar. Depa had Kanan ride with her on Bele. Soon they were all off. The Tribe waving goodbyes and following them as far as the shoreline could let them. Soon, there was nothing but open water. The crew waved back until they were in the cave entrance to the waterfall. The crew had been smiling the whole time, but they couldn't help but feel sad. When they first got in, they saw curious faces, some a bit distant. But now they saw longing. They hoped this wasn't the last time they saw the Tribe.

The entire time, Demira took the lead with Sar Sar so that Depa and Kanan could be the tail end with Bele. Kanan looked behind him as the orange creature followed, swimming behind them. He said, "So, I've tried everything, even through force connection, to get him to go."

"Perhaps he wants to see you off as well," Depa said.

Kanan smiled hearing her words, "So, you've made up your mind. You know what you're going to do?"

"I have," Depa said confidently. Demira saw the exchanged and though she couldn't hear what was being said, she saw their faces and came to a conclusion. Depa was still leaving.

Once they crossed under the waterfall and got to shore, everyone got out of the canoe. Sabine motioned to M'Stari with a wave and said, "Irayo."

M'Stari smiled back and said, "Nippret, Ghost Crew." He waved at everyone and the crew thanked him back. Passing the grazing Farasi by the water, everyone trekked through the jungle until they got to the Ghost. The crew got into their rooms, putting their stuff back. But being inside a small space… it felt so odd now. They solemnly unpacked before finally going outside again.

Ezra was with Dhaman, petting the creature on the snout and saying, "I'm going to have to leave you, buddy. I'm sorry. I'll come back and visit when I can, ok?" Dhaman gave a low gurgle, a sad tune following, before nuzzling his head into Ezra's chest. The boy gave a laugh. "I'll miss you too. But you can fly free while I'm gone."

Demira came and petted the Kuri and said, "Whenever he get's lonely, we'll be by his side." To confirm, Sar Sar nudged Dhaman on the side in comfort.

"Thank you," Ezra said. Demira and Ezra looked at each other, not knowing what to do. A week ago, they didn't know either one existed. Now they were the best of friends and perhaps the only new generation of Jedi. It did not feel right to be apart. They suddenly hugged each other. Ezra being the first to say, "I have to thank you. I never knew the Force could be, well, fun."

"As Depa once told me, it always depends on how you look at it. And I have to thank you."

"Why?" Ezra pulled away.

Demira giggled and said, "For being you. After all that I heard you have done, you are the reason the crew is here now. You are special." Ezra smiled.

Chief Kerchec, Urak, and the Shaman all thanked the crew. Depa stood by. The Chief said, "We can't thank you enough for keeping the people of Panama safe."

"Your people were brave," Zeb said, "We just made it look easy."

The Chief continued, "To repay you, we offer our help in any future endeavors of yours."

The Shaman said, "I second that but do please keep the Empire out if it."

Sabine smirked, "We'll do our best, but no promises."

Depa then came up to the group as she faced the leaders as well as Demira. Everyone watched, all having different expectation. Everyone felt she was going to join the Rebellion. So what was going on? It was quiet as the Jedi looked at each leader, giving no smile or frown. She then looked to Demira. The girl, who had been holding back for so long, couldn't anymore. Demira reached out and hugged Depa pressing her head close to the Jedi's chest. "Be safe…" she said with a slight croak on her voice. She kept the tears back as Depa hugged her back. It was quiet before Depa smiled and said, "I will be…. Because I will be right here with you."

Demira's eyes went wide as the Shaman shook his head and the Chief's mouth dropped open. The crew watched delighted as Demira jumped up and down and cheered. "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" She hugged Depa again, this time in rejoice. But then she stepped back. "Why? You said you have finished teaching me."

"Just because you are a Jedi Knight doesn't mean you can't learn anything more from me." Depa playfully tossed Demira's hair around, the girl putting her hands on her head and giggling. "Besides…" She looked to the crew. "I have said it before. The galaxy has changed and I can no longer live in it. And this world needs me. After all…" She looked to the Orange Kuru that stood by the entire time next to Bele. Depa said, "I know what I'm going to do." She looked to Kanan.

The man nodded and explained to everyone, "I saw this creature painted on the walls of caves."

"And since Bele somehow called him and a thousands animals from all around Panama..." Depa continued, "I believed it was not only because they wanted to help us. It was also a sign from the Force. My next journey. I must know why the Force here is so strong. In a way, I owe it to Demira's father. Ekim was an old friend of mine who loved this planet in more ways then one. I will continue his studies of Panama. And I will continue to be by his daughter's side when she needs me."

The crew said their goodbyes to Depa. Though they were slightly sad she wouldn't join the rebellion, they were more then happy to see she had chosen the right path for herself. Hera had said her goodbyes and stood by the Chief. She saw his face, full of mystic joy. Hera commented, "It looks like you two won't be apart."

The Chief gave satisfying sigh and said, "Yes…." He then looked to Hera. He has seen her and Kanan's behavior and figured that saying goodbye earlier wouldn't be enough. He gave her some advice, "Take the time you have with him. I was so close to losing mine with her."

Hera couldn't hide it anymore. "I will."

As Depa finished saying goodbye to Chopper, she stood up to face her Padawan. Her first Padawan. "Caleb—I mean… Kanan…"

Kanan reached out a hand and put it on her shoulder. "I may be Kanan, but to you, I will always be Caleb. I may have learned a lot of new things, but I still learned from you."

Depa's heart broke in that instant and she just reached out and hugged him. He hugged back. The two were like that for a solid minute. Never letting go. How could they since hey had just found each other. But perhaps that was enough to go on. They knew each other was alive, ok, and leading new lives. Lives that in some way helped others. That's all the Jedi ever had to be. Being selfless. They stepped back, wiping away tears that had been shed in silence. Kanan said, "We'll be back."

"I know you will."

Demira came and playfully nudged Kanan on the side. "He better… he still has to become a Knight."

Kanan laughed and and nudged her back, "Ooo, scared I'll catch up?"

"No fear!" Demira cheered. The two hugged before finally it was time to part. The crew walked up the ramp into the cargo haul. Kanan was up front as Hera reached out the the small panel on the wall hesitantly. When she finally pressed the button, the ramp began to close. Demira quickly called out, "Su makas!"

The crew new how to respond, "Oe Ngat Kame!"

Moment later they were all in the cockpit. Everyone looked out to the leaders and the Jedi of Panama. Longing but hope was in the air. Hera started the engines, letting them warm up until she pulled back on the joy stick. Soon the Ghost was in the air and heading towards the sky. They noticed the sunset created such beautiful warm colors that made the jungle almost glow. The snow caps of the mountain even glistened. The wind picked up but it was a warm breeze, pushing the Ghost up higher. But that wasn't the only thing that flew. "Look!" Ezra yelled , pointing outside the cockpit. On the left was Dhaman with the orange Kuru flying on the ship's right. Ezra waved at his creature until it pulled away to reveal Demira on Sar Sar. The orange Kuru flew away towards the mountain as Bele came into view with Depa and the Chief. Everyone waved goodbye until the creatures could go no higher.

Bele and Sar Sar landed on a flat landing of rock taller then the trees around them. Demira jumped off and stood to wave, even though she was out of view. Depa and Kerchec got off Bele and went to stand behind Demira. Depa held Kerchec's hands and rested her head on his shoulder. He rested his head on hers. Demira laughed, leaning back so that they could all be with each other, close. Like Saoai.

Kanan closed his eyes and felt their love radiate. The connection with his master had been rekindled, and he would hold on to that. And he and his crew had made new connections that they would hold on to. Like Family.

When they were out in space, Hera pulled down the small lever on the console, the stars up front turning into a blur. "Back to the Rebellion we go…" Hera said.

From outside, the Ghost was there and then soon had disappeared. The planet of Panama was left behind in peace.

* * *

 **A.N: I guess to some of you it may seem like a cop out I didn't have Depa join the Rebellion and believe me that would have been awesome. But as a storyteller and someone who likes to try and stick to canon as much as possible, I couldn't let Depa go. Rebels was too perfect for me to see Depa come out of nowhere and help. The choices made by the creators were so significant to me and the crew did it without a Jedi Master like Depa. BUT! That doesn't mean I won't let Kanan keep his promise to Depa in this story. They will see each other again, because there is an Epilogue! But let's review. Depa/Kerchec kind of confirmed. Depa has found a new path. Demira is a Knight. The Shaman so done. And the crew have been changed in some way. MORE SOON! I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!**


	52. Epilogue: Through Another's Eyes

**A.N: LONG EPILOGUE! Because I have so many ideas but I can only condense them to a few. Trust me you'll love every single little bit of this. READ TO THE END NOTE! Some special stuff later.**

 **HuffleHecate: I'm so glad you loved the ending. Now get ready for the Epilogue! And thank you I hope you enjoy the stories I still have and other to come!**

 **I don't own Star Wars.**

This means song lyric.

* * *

 **Epilogue: Through Another's Eyes**

* * *

(Recommended song to listen to: Phil Collins – Look Through My Eyes)

ONE YEAR LATER

There will be things in life you learn and oh in time you'll see…

Depa meditated as she sat cross-legged on the edge of the pillar where her hut sat. Bele was next to her quietly sleeping with his long neck curled around his body. Compared to her, the village down bellow was bustling. They were getting ready for a night of celebration some of those coming of age had received their Talent Marks.

Kerchec had finished congratulating many who wore their new Chapa with pride when he decided enough was enough. The man walked up the wooden steps and across bridges until he got to Depa's pillar. He kneeled down and put a hand on her shoulder, "Depa, please, you have been at this for several long weeks now."

The women opened her eyes and hunched over a little, rubbing her forehead as she said, "I know but I have had this feeling. Something had gone wrong, I know it. But I don't know who or what."

"Well it is not Demira, she had come well from her visits."

"It's beyond that."

Kerchec put a hand to the woman's cheek. She took comfort in it and rested her hand on his. He said, "You once told me that it is impossible to know everything."

"I know…."

Bele's head perked up and suddenly he got excited. Depa and Kerchec looked to see the Kuri standing up and wag his tail. Then, on the other side of the canopy and beyond the waterfall, the loud boom of the sound barrier breaking was heard. As the village stopped to wonder, Depa became the opposite. "It's the crew!" She said, a bit loud and a little more jubilant than usual.

Kerchec had no need to stop her. He was just happy to see her happy. He said, "It's been a year, do you think they remember where to go?"

"I'm sure," She got up and used her staff to climb onto Bele's back. "But it doesn't hurt to meet them halfway." Once feeling his rider was on his back, the creature dove and then soared around the canyon until he made a turn towards the back. Getting out of the hidden village and out into the sky, Bele made his way towards the mountain. There in the distance flying in slow was some sort of small craft. It was almost round in shape with a dorsal fin at the top. "A Neimoiden Shuttle? That's from the Clone Wars…" Depa said to Bele. The creature just gave a squawk of joy that eased Depa's tension. "You're right. The Rebellion must use what it can find."

Soon, Bele landed in the clearing where the Depa herself marked the border between her and the Imperials. What had been burned and cut down was now growing lush green once again. Flowers bloomed small but showed promise. Depa stayed seated on Bele's back as the transport slowly descended. Depa could see paintings of symbols, obviously Sabine's work of art. But why this ship? She was going to ask that when the ramp in the back opened and the first person to walk out was Ezra. But it was an Ezra Depa had never seen before. "My boy, you have grown quite a lot," Depa said observing that Ezra had ditched the jump suite and now wore grey pants and an orange long sleeve. His newly cut hair was a noticeable feature.

He smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, figured I go a new look."

"And new included this ship too."

Now Ezra was turning red, "Yeah um, about that—"

"Ezra lost the Phantom." Came a familiar voice from the shadows of the ramp.

Depa gave a slight chuckle and said, "Ah, do not be so surprised that the art of misplacing belongings passed down from Padawan to…." She faltered when she saw Kanan walk into the light. Bele gave a moan of concern as he lowered his neck fro Depa to climb off and get a better look. Kanan no longer wore the armor on his right and wore just a green long sleeve and pants. He had grown out a beard and mustache, but what made Depa worry was the mask over his eyes. "Caleb…."

"It's ok… I'll explain later…" the man said walking to stand next to his Padawan. The boy slightly looked away. Depa could feel a twinge of guilt in the air before Kanan stepped forward and asked, "We have questions and maybe you can help."

It's out there somewhere, it's all waiting… If you keep believing.

Moments later, Bele flew the Jedi back to the Village. A crowd of Tribe people surrounded the hut, wanting to hear what was going on inside. Kerchec sat next to Depa as they faced Kanan and Ezra. The Chief said excited, "It is great that you have found a base. And in addition to an amazing discovery! A giant creature that does not just force sensitive but is the Force itself. Remarkable! Perhaps he has a connection to your discoveries, Depa."

Ezra asked curiously, "What kinds of discoveries?"

"Depa found the connection between the animals of Panama and the land itself. Right?" The Chief frowned when he saw the women in deep thought. He slightly nudged her to get her attention.

Depa's head shot up. "Wha-what? Ah yes, those discoveries." She relaxed and said, "During the battle here on your last visit, do you remember how Bele was able to light up?" Ezra and Kanan nodded, "Well, that is how he was able to communicate with the animals around the planet. I still don't understand how the energy makes his markings light up but it's a sign that he's using the force within him to connect with the land. This connection spread all Panama, like a transmitter."

"I remember how the trees and the grass reacted before the animals came to our aid," Kanan said. "It's a wonderful discovery and I'm happy that you found your calling here. But you're worried about something. Something else we said."

"Yes…" Depa gave in. "Maul and Obi-wan. Because the Holocron has been destroyed you want my help to know why Maul would be after Kenobi. What has Rex told you?"

Ezra said, "Well, he said that Obi-wan was the reason Maul lost his legs. And they fought a couple times in the Clone Wars. But he said only Skywalker knew what was really going on."

Depa nodded. "Anakin would have known more yes. Obi-wan and I were good friends, though. And from the stories, he himself told me… it seems that Maul finally wants to end it all."

"End what?"

"In summary, Maul blames Obi-wan for everything wrong that has happened to him. Even indirectly. It is the dark side of him. He wants to finish bi-wan himself. If… Obi-wan is alive."

"But he has to be."

"Ezra…" Kanan began.

Ezra hunched over in defeat. Depa felt the same way though and quickly said, "Do not lose hope. If he is alive, leave him be. Obi-wan always has his reasons. As for Maul…. Though I highly advise you stay away from that monster, make sure to give him a good kick in the rear. He owes me a new Holocron." Kanan laughed. Then Depa raised an eyebrow. "But I am still curious on how you bumped into Maul in the first place. By the sounds of it he knew about you before he had you meld the Holocrons. Did he say where he got the Sith Holocron?"

The tension in the room spiked once again. But Kanan didn't stray the conversation away this time. A loud squawk from outside made everyone turned out to the small skylight above. They didn't see anything, but they heard someone outside. "Demira, Demira! Oye te!"

The Shaman suddenly poked his head through the door curtain and asked, "She's not supposed to be here until tomorrow, right?"

Kerchec got up and almost rushed out the door and past the Shaman, "I'm not complaining, you?"

"I'm not either," Ezra was the one to say as he got up and followed Kerchec.

Kanan slowly got up and Depa on instinct went to try and help. "I'm fine," he said with a hand up.

Depa looked at the markings on his mask, imagining aqua colored eyes staring at her. "Caleb… what happened?"

"Like I said. I'll explain later. Better to tell you with Demira and the others."

So don't run, don't hide, it will be all right…

Outside, Ezra ran past the crowd who had been itching to great him. Instead, he was focused on the two Kurus that flew into the village and landed by the bonfire. When he got there, he saw Sar Sar and her rider. Demira jumped off the Kuru, landing in a crouch and standing tall. She had on a different top, a faded green, that wrapped around one shoulder before wrapping around her breast. The same color was her skirt but instead of one piece, two cloths wrap around her waist down to her knees. Her cape was no longer made of fur. It was like someone had weaved dried brown grass intricately but strong, the cape flowing down over her shoulders to her knees. She still had the same mask but when she pulled it off, her baby face was definitely gone and her face was a bit more defined. She finally started to look like an eighteen-year-old girl, or more correctly, a nineteen-year-old. "Demira?"

The girl had a double take, "Ezra? What happened to your hair?"

The boy laughed. Things didn't completely change at least. Before she could run and hug him, a Kuru that had come with Sar Sar charged after him, "Dhaman!" Ezra yelled before he was pushed back into the ground. He laughed as the creature licked him over and over. "Ok, ok, I miss you too, buddy!"

Demira helped Ezra push Dhaman far enough away so that Ezra could stand. Then she gave him a hug and said, "Ah, by the grace of All Mother it is good to see you well."

"You too, but I hear you weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow."

"I was with the Nomads when I felt All Mother's call, so I had to come. Also, Dhaman was with me at the time and he began doing circles." The two looked at the two Kuru as they bobbed heads up and down like curious birds. Then Demira got excited. "Oh! Did she tell you her discovery?"

"Yeah, it's wicked stuff!"

"Depa and I were coming up with ways on how we can use creatures to communicate with the Nomads—" a screech was heard and suddenly an orange Kuri flew in from the back entrance of the village. "It's the wild Kuri! Where is Kanan?" She looked behind Ezra and saw Kanan was coming to them with Depa right next to her and The Chief and Shaman close by. Demira smiled and moved passed Ezra to go to Kanan but she stopped. The orange Kuri landed next Kanan then lowered his head and gently nuzzled Kanan as not to spook him. The man reached out tentatively and stroked the Kuri on the snout. Demira looked at him quizzically and looked back at Ezra, "Why does he wear a mask?"

Ezra looked away, the smile again replaced with a frown. Demira became worried and looked back. Kanan then faced the Orange Kuri, who somehow knew what to do. The creature gently pulled the mask off revealing Kanan's a faded scar going across his eyes. When he opened them, they were no longer aqua blue but white. Depa gasped, "Caleb…"

You'll see, trust me, I'll be there… watching over you

Demira ran up to him, Ezra following slowly. Kanan began to explain, "We went to Malachor to find a way to stop the Inquisitors. We found a Sith Holocron…. And Maul."

The Chief and the Shaman looked at each other. "That's how…" Kerchec began.

But Depa was quicker. She heard stories of Malachor. "Why in the galaxy would you be on Malachor?"

Ezra began to explain how he was able to contact Yoda thought eh temple of Lothal. And why Yoda told him to go to Malachor. He then told them what happened to on the planet. Especially about what happened Kanan…. And Ahsoka. Demira rubbed a hand up and down her arm. "Ahsoka is…. gone…" She then looked to Ezra who had a guilty look on his face. She grabbed his hand. He looked down and up to her to her again, wide-eyed. She said, "It's ok… everything will be ok…" Ezra knew Kanan had never blamed him and told him the same, but it was great to hear from Demira also.

Depa nodded and told him, "We step forward from here on out." She then reached out to Kanan. She remembered what he said earlier. He was fine. His blindness. "My Padawan. Clever as always."

"Actually I'm no longer Padawan…" He said with a smirk. "By the Force I'm considered a Jedi Knight.

Seeing as Kanan wasn't phased by what Ezra had told, Demira got out of her solemn days and scuffed. "Not true."

Kanan crossed his arms. "You're just jealous I'm a Knight now."

"Am not," Demira smirked and crossed her arms. "Because I was a Knight before you."

"Not that I would love to see you two banter…" Depa cut in, "But I would like to hear more about your more light-hearted adventures."

And so, up until the bonfire the leaders and the Jedi were in Depa's hut sharing stories. The time at the Bonfire was spent celebrating and dancing. Depa staid by Kanan almost all the time. Not because he was blind, but because she almost lost him. She felt she needed this time to spend with him. Even by the time Kanan and Ezra went back to their base on Atollon, Depa still didn't know her subconscious needed this moment with him.

For it was the last.

* * *

ONE YEAR LATER

There will be times, on this journey, all you see is darkness.

Depa felt it. It hurt so bad. She felt it all over her body. Soon she was in the black.

Demira was with the Tribe and decided she would gather fruit with Depa and the gatherers. Demira had climbed the tallest fruit tree in the grove to gatherer some berries when she felt a sharp pain in her chest. She stopped, knowing what the familiar pain meant. She looked back in time to see Depa drop a basket of fruit she was caring and collapse. "DEPA!" Demira yelled. All the gatherers stopped their work and went to crowd around Depa. Immediately, Demira used the Force to pull a vine close to her. She swung from the tree over the crowd and landed right by her master. "Asa Mahi! Asa Mahi!" She called out as she picked up Depa's head and cradled her in her arms.

Bele had been nearby and Demira had him take her and Depa straight back to the village. Demira waited outside as the healer tended to Depa in the tent. Some Tribespeople came by but would go. The Chief also waited. He worried for Depa dearly. But it was interrupted when, from the back entrance, the orange Kuru flew into the back entrance and landed on the perch of the rock pillar. He suddenly began giving off squawks in a pattern before jumping up in down and flapping his wings. "Ouu, ouu! Say-san, Kuri!" Demira called out as she went over to him. She managed to grab his chin tendril to pull his head down close to her. Then she gripped the tendrils on the base of his skull to keep his head close. "Shhhh Asa-mahi… what's wrong?"

Kerchec suddenly felt the need to go inside the healer's hut. He pushed past the curtain and stepped in, ignoring the healer's words to get out. He saw Depa sitting up on the mat. She didn't look hurt… physically. But her head was down. It wasn't that she was meditating. Kerchec rushed to her and kneeled down in from of her. "Depa…"

She slowly looked up and Kerchec saw tears. "It's… Caleb….he's…." She suddenly burst out crying. She couldn't hold back. She felt it. Through the Force. Kerchec pulled her into a hug but it was all he could do. But he at least understood the pain she felt. He let Depa cry.

Demira heard Depa from outside. She turned to look at the hut, confused. Depa was crying. Something happened but it wasn't here. It has to be something she felt. Then Demira looked at the orange Kuri. The creature was still restless but Demira looked into its yellow eyes. They were moving back in forth as if searching for something. Something he couldn't see anymore. "No…." Demira figured it out. She put a hand over her mouth.

The Shaman had heard what happened to Depa and had finally crossed the wooden bridge to the healer's hut. He got there in time to see Demira fall to her knees, her face to the ground. She cried softly as the Kuri laid down on her right side. He wrapped his neck around her so that his head was on her left, nudging her for comfort. The Shaman new then. Kanan was gone.

But out there somewhere, daylight finds you…if you keep believing.

The Ghost arrived two weeks later. Depa and Demira met them at the clearing where the battle had been. When they saw Hera, Zeb, and Chopper come down the ramp, Depa's instincts were confirmed. Demira asked, "Where are Ezra Sabine?" the Twi'lek hesitated but managed to tell her what happened. It happened in a battle she called Freedom for Lothal. Though Demira had wanted to tell Hera that someone should have gone out looking for her friend, Demira agreed with Ezra final instructions. The protection of Lothal's people comes first. And who better to protect it the Sabine.

When they got to the village, the sun was setting making the river shine a beautiful yellow-orange. Several Tribes people held large baskets of white flowers as they were all lined up at the bank of the river "What are these?" Zeb asked when they met up with the Chief and Shaman.

"Lek'ip. White flowers that bloom on the vines up top." He pointed to the canopy. "When they bloom we let them fall into the river. But when someone dies we gather them and place them in the river ourselves." He looked to Depa. The Jedi master took one in her hand and went to the river bank. She kneeled down and placed the flower facing up so it flowed down river without sinking. Demira grabbed a flower and held it up to Hera. The woman had been shocked the entire time. They had waited for them… to give Kanan a proper funeral. Hera took the flower and went up to the river. She did the same as Depa did. Demira then put her flower and so did Zeb. Even Chopper put one in. Soon the leaders and the entire Tribe put flowers. A moment of silence followed. Depa rested her head on Kerchec's shoulder. The leader rested his head on hers.

So don't run, don't hide, it will be all right….

Hera was so overwhelmed at the fact these people who had barely knew Kanan had taken the time to send him off. Usually, she would be able to hold it in, but her tears were coming down before she even realized it. Hera cursed to herself. This was also coming from the fact she had been feeling sick for the third time since the battle on Lothal. She felt the need to throw up again. Demira saw the pilot wipe tears away with one hand, so she held the other and said, "It's ok to cry."

Hera nodded and whispered, "I know I just... I just haven't been feeling well either. It just keeps coming and going. I just want to live in the moment in peace." Demira nodded. The healer who had been standing behind and listening tapped Demira's shoulder and said something to her. The girl then asked Hera, "She wants to know how many times and since when."

Zeb and Chopper started to listen in. Hera said a bit taken back, "Um… well, the first time was around battle on Lothal and it comes every other week. It's just nausea, it's nothing."

Then the Healer asked another question to which Demira translated, "Have you been eating a lot more than normal?"

Hera was now stunned, "Yes, but how does—" The healer interrupted and said something making Demira stick out her tongue and repeat what the healer said. It was loud enough for Kerchec and Depa to hear. They both looked at Hera stunned. "What?" She asked.

Demira was the one to say, "She says you either have a really bad sickness… or you're pregnant."

Hera's mouth dropped open.

You'll see trust me, I'll be there… watching over you.

* * *

FOUR YEAR LATER

Demira ran on all fours around a jungle clearing where the adults gathered to share words. Children of all ages chased her around before she let herself fall on her back. They tackled her as she giggled and yelled out. When she went to stand up, she picked up one child up from the crowd. A four-year-old, tan skinned boy with noticeable green hair and pointy green ears to match. She then lifted his shirt and blew a raspberry in his belly, making his aqua blue eyes go wide as he yelled out in joy, "Auntie D'ra, let go! Ahahah!"

All the things that you can change…. There's a meaning in everything…

Depa, Sabine, and Hera came into the clearing where the children were playing, watching Demira play with the children. When the women joined the group, the boy looked up and yelled, "Hi, Mama! Hi Aunt 'Bine! Hi Grandma Depa!"

"Hello little one," Depa said reaching out and grabbing Jason and holding him in her arms. As she and the boy rubbed noses, Demira turned to the crowd of kids behind her. "Everyone else is doomed because they can't escape… the MONSTER!" She gave her own roar which made the children scream in excitement and run.

Sabine gave a chuckled before saying, "At twenty-four I'm surprised you can still run like that."

"I can never give up such talent," Demira explained.

"I want to run!" Jason yelled.

"Maybe next time, Hun," Hera said. "But we have to go take Sabine back to Lothal."

"But I need to say by to Oro, Ma."

"I'm sure he'll understand if you don't say bye…" a loud rumble was heard and Hera deadpanned. "Never mind…"

The Orange Kuri ran out of the forest and into the clearing, stopping right in front of Hera. The boy reached his hands out. "Oro! You're here to say bye!" The Kuri lowed his head and nuzzled Jason playfully, almost knocking Hera back.

"I wish you never discovered how to communicate using these crazy animals," the pilot muttered.

Demira and Sabine giggled. They really loved that boy.

And you will find all you need, there's so much to understand.

* * *

SEVERAL YEARS LATER

Depa and Kerchec were laying against Bele's side, the Kuri quietly sleeping as night set in. As they looked at the peaceful village. Depa brushed strands of small grey hair away from the chief's face, saying, "Do you ever think of what life would have been like if I had never crashed on this planet?"

Kerchec looked at the Jedi with nothing but a mesmerized daze. He also brushed back strands of loose brown and grey hair off Depa's face. He said to her, "There is no way I could. I would rather die than live a hundred years without knowing you." He kissed her gently on the cheek. She returned it with a peck on the lips.

Then Depa looked out again. "Despite the downs that happened, it is the ups that make me regret nothing. Everything is as it should be." Before they could rest together, the sound of the sound barrier breaking was heard. "Well, who could that be?" Depa asked.

Take a look, through my eyes… there's a better place somewhere out there.

Later, outside the cave in the mountains, Sar Sar walked back and forth nervously. She had been waiting for Demira to come out since she had gone in hours ago. Soon his nervousness turned to surprise when Dhaman suddenly came flying in from the dark of the night sky and landed right next to her. Sar Sar squawked confused as a cloaked figure jumped off Dhaman's back. The figure went by, saying in a familiar voice, "Good to see you, Sar." The Kuru gave a surprised screech before looking at her fellow Kuru in bewilderment. Dhaman just smirked.

Inside the cave, a tunnel that was riddle with carvings on walls stood a woman. Crystals glowed green over her head, pulsating with light, the only light in the tunnel. She faced a dead end. Or at least she thought it was. She stepped closer into the light to reveal and older Demira. The threads of beads that were weaved into her knee-length light brown hair also glowed green. She on cloth wrapped like a long orange skirt that went a little past her knees. On top she had red cloth that wrapped around her breast like an X. She still wore her dried grass weaved cape but now had a staff with beads to match the ones in her hair. Demira tapped her bare foot on the ground as she pondered at the sight before her.

Take a look, through my eyes. Everything changes. You'll be amazed what you find….

There was a diamond shape drawn big and white on the wall. It was bigger and taller than the women herself. Next, to each face of the diamond shape, a Kuru was drawn flying alongside it, almost as if they were planning to fly around the diamond. If it moved. "Come on, Bruton. What did you mean before you passed?"

She missed the Shaman dearly. Yes, the two in the beginning never saw eye to eye, but they saw each other in the end. The two had become close before he died of age not long ago. To honor him, she took of up the mantle as Shaman. Though she remained the Jedi protector of Panama and a member of the Nomads, she felt a strong duty to her Tribe. To give wisdom where she had learned. But there was one thing the Shaman said that plagued her. "What door are you talking about?"

"I think I might know…" said a familiar voice behind her.

Demira's eyes lit up and she turned around to face the stranger. Well, it wasn't a stranger actually. A hooded figure came into the light to reveal a tan skin man with nicely cut dark hair and with a bit of a beard around his chin. He smiled and said, "Though I think we need to catch up first. Kalte Sum Kas, Demira."

The woman smiled, feeling joy in seeing her friend again, "Oe Ngat Kame…. Ezra."

Just take a look through my eyes….

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.

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 **A.N And done. Yep, officially over. Can you believe it? Quick recap: Depa saw Kanan before he died. They had a funeral for him. And Jason has names for everyone! Lastly, if and when Ezra gets back from his time out lost in space, Demira will be sure to have his help. After all, she is the Shaman of the Tribe. Though the chapter focused on the Growing Mace Windu Lineage, this chapter and the story, in general, had one theme in mind: Looking through another's point of view and finding answers there. Hence, Brother Bear music!**

 **I'm kind of sad. It was so much fun to write for Depa. She will always be my favorite star wars character. I want to thank all the readers, reviewers, and those who favorited and followed my story. It means a lot, not matter how crazy it got at the end. 50 chapters with 53 reviews. I love you all and will miss you. I hope to see you again in the future. I'm KikaKat, signing off for now. Perhaps after my other star wars fic I may have another different one with a whole set of new characters. We'll see. PEACE OUT!**


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